Gundam Wing and the Quest for the Holy Grail
by MomsDarkSecret
Summary: The GW boys are on a quest for the Holy Grail with Percival of King Arthur's court. Tasks and trials aplenty await them! Old friends may turn up! And just where is Roku's storage place? Pairings: 1x2x5, 3x4. COMPLETED!
1. Whose Idea was this Again?

This story is a sequel to another story of mine: **Gundam Wing and The Knights of the Round Table**. This is really a continuation of the other story; I mostly just wanted to change the title, because the boys are forging off into new territory. But that means you should really read the other story first, if you haven't yet.

**Disclaimer**: This is an original work of fiction, but the characters of Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Wu-Fei Chang, Trowa Barton and Quatre Reberba Winner are borrowed from Gundam Wing AC by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Sunrise. . Roku, on the other hand, is totally my creation.

**Warnings**: This is a comedy, but you'll have to watch out for implied yaoi, sexual innuendo, mayhem, bloodshed, and a general disrespect for upstanding moral behavior.

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Chapter 1: Whose Idea was this Again?

"I hate horses!" Quatre grumbled. "My butt is so sore!"

"Are you sure it's not because of all the sneaking around you did with Trowa last night?" Duo asked brightly.

"I can turn your underwear into a cactus, you know."

Duo paled. "Just kidding! I'm sure wrapping your legs around a horse is completely different."

Quatre glared at him. "We should have asked Arthur for a carriage."

"Or perhaps a wagon," said Wu-Fei. "Then we wouldn't have needed so many pack horses to haul Duo's shit."

Duo looked aggrieved. "Did you expect me to leave it? What if we couldn't come back for it?"

"You could always steal more," Heero remarked.

"I didn't steal it!" Duo protested. "Every item was purchased with money I won fair and square."

"From knights who were too drunk to notice you were cheating," amended Wu-Fei.

"I was not cheating! I was… taking advantage of… a general lack of attention."

"He was cheating," said Wu-Fei.

"Don't listen to them, Roku," Duo said in a highly offended tone. "Your Papa Duo is a completely honest man."

The little tiger Roku was sitting on top of Duo's baggage on one of the pack horses. Trowa had soothed the mare into accepting this arrangement, although she still didn't look all that happy about it, and Roku couldn't move around too much. Trowa was confident the horses would get used to him eventually and then Roku would be able to walk if he wanted to.

"So it's not cheating if you know which cards the other players are holding?" Roku asked.

"No," said Duo.

"Yes," said the other four.

"Well, it depends on how you figured out what cards they have," Duo conceded.

"You're splitting hairs, Duo," Heero said flatly.

Duo sniffed. "I don't care to talk about it anymore."

"When do we stop for lunch?" Roku asked. "I'm hungry."

"I'll ask Percival," said Trowa, and he trotted ahead to catch up with the knights.

"Do you suppose that whole lot will stay with us the entire way?" Wu-Fei asked.

A total of seventeen knights were trailing along after Percival. His original party, in addition to the five pilots and Roku, had been four. The others had all joined in, more or less at the last minute, because the excursion sounded like fun.

"I hope not," Quatre said. "All they do is eat and make lewd suggestions."

"That sounds a lot like someone else we know," said Heero.

They all looked at Duo.

"Hey!"

Trowa came trotting back. "Percival says we'll stop just over that rise. There's a stream."

The stream was actually a good-sized river, which they forded where the road crossed it at a shallow spot. Before his horse stepped into the water, Roku leaped down and dashed ahead, plunging into the river with an excited squeal. He splashed across happily, getting himself thoroughly soaked in the process.

Quatre put a hand over his face and shook his head.

"At least he's clean," Trowa remarked.

"There's that," Quatre conceded with a sigh.

"The horses barely panicked at all that time," Wu-Fei noted.

"That's true," Trowa agreed. "I was sure they'd get used to him."

Roku reached the far bank and jumped up and down. "Let's do it again!"

"Aren't you cold?" asked Quatre.

"Nah-ah!" Roku shook, flinging water everywhere. Then he bounded over to where Percival was dismounting. "What's for lunch, Sir Percy?"

Roku was the only one who got away with calling Percival Percy.

"Well, little one," Percival answered, "we have ham, a little bacon, some beef jerky, bread, cheese and a few apples."

Roku licked his chops. "May I have some ham, please?"

"Of course!" Percival patted Roku's head and started unloading lunch from one of the pack horses, a process that was complicated by the fact that Roku kept winding around Percival's legs, causing the pack horse to shy away.

"Roku, give Percival some room," Quatre said. "You're completely under foot."

Roku backed off several steps and sat down, curling his tail neatly around his paws. Percival finally dug out a small ham and tossed it to Roku, who snatched it neatly out of the air and settled down to eat, the ham caught between his front claws.

Duo pointed at him with a strip of beef jerky. "Those claws of his are getting huge."

"They sure are," said Heero. "I'll have to come up with a training plan for him so he learns how to use them properly."

Duo lifted an eyebrow at him. "You're going to teach a tiger how to use his claws?"

"For fighting," Heero replied. "How else will he learn? We're a little short on tiger instructors."

"Good point." Duo shoved the rest of the beef jerky into his mouth.

Percival was sitting cross-legged on the ground, eating a piece of cheese and studying a large map he had unfolded on the ground in front of him.

"Do you have a planned route, Sir Percival?" Wu-Fei asked.

"Not yet, but I have a starting point." He pointed at the map. "There is a woman living in the Abbey of the Seventh Cross who is supposed to be an oracle. I thought I would ask her where I should go first."

"Makes sense. How far is that?"

"Not far. We should arrive tomorrow morning." Percival leaned closer to Wu-Fei and lowered his voice. "In truth, I had thought to arrive today, but all these hangers-on are slowing us down." He frowned slightly. "While I can easily accept that your purpose in accompanying me on this quest is less pious than my own, these other knights have no such excuse. But if you ask me, they have just come along as a lark."

"Well, I'm sure the less dedicated ones will turn back if we run into any difficulties."

"One can only hope."

"Roku!" Quatre exclaimed. "What are you doing in the river again?"

"Washing my face."

"And your whole body needs to be in the water for that?"

"My paws were dirty, too."

Quatre sighed. Trowa smiled.

"Do you see any gold in the water, Roku?" asked Duo.

Several of the knights perked up.

"What does it look like?" Roku asked.

"Shiny, gold-colored pebbles."

"Lots of the pebbles are shiny."

One of the knights, Sir Hagrimore, who had accompanied Wu-Fei and Duo on their quest to fight the dragon, stepped into the river beside Roku and leaned over. "Ah, those are but bits of quartz. Pretty, but of little value."

"I like shiny rocks," said Roku.

"So do the ladies, my little friend!" Hagrimore laughed and patted Roku on the back.

"Can you get out of the water now, please?" Quatre said. "You're making me cold."

"Yes, Mama."

They arrived at a large town late that afternoon and settled at a well-appointed, comfortable inn.

"It would be better if only a few of us go to see the oracle," Percival said. "Sir Hagrimore, Sir Heero and I will go in the morning."

"If you don't mind, I would like to go, too," said Wu-Fei.

"Certainly, Master Wu-Fei."

"How long do you think it will take?" Trowa asked.

"I have no idea," said Percival. "I think we should plan on being here for at least two nights."

Duo grinned. "That means I have time to shop!"

"Oh, great!" Heero groaned. "More shit to lug around."

"I'll carry it for you, Papa Duo," Roku said.

"Ok, but you better give it back to me when I ask for it," Duo warned.

"I will." Roku grinned.

"Don't let him load you down too much, sweetie," Quatre said. He frowned at Duo.

"It's ok, Mama. It doesn't weigh anything when I put it in the storage place."

"I have got to learn how he does that!" Duo exclaimed.

With a large influx of free-spending knights, the innkeeper did not mind special requests at all, so Roku was treated to a large chunk of raw beef roast, which he tore apart with savage glee.

Quatre watched with dismay.

"Wishing you had that river back to dip him in?" Trowa asked with a smile.

Quatre grinned wryly. "Yeah. Unless he gets a bath, he's sleeping on the floor tonight."

Roku's head popped up. "A bath?" he said eagerly. "Will Papa Wu-Fei warm it for me?"

"Of course," said Wu-Fei.

Roku flicked his tail happily and resumed eating.

The inn had a dining room for eating and a separate common room for drinking. After dinner, most of the knights, along with Duo and Heero, moved to the common room to toast each other with a few rounds of ale.

Quatre, Trowa, Roku and Wu-Fei adjourned to the inn's bathing room, which boasted four large wooden tubs and a cistern of rather chilly water. Baths were free, unless you wanted warm water, for which the innkeeper charged by the bucket. The three young men filled one of the tubs with water and Wu-Fei breathed fire on it, being careful not to set the tub itself on fire.

"You're getting pretty good at that, Wu-Fei," Trowa said. "Your control is quite refined."

Wu-Fei looked rather pleased with himself. "It is getting to be less of a nuisance, I have to admit."

Roku leaped into the tub with a splash and showered them all with water. "Yippee!"

The three stared at him with water dripping off their noses.

"Oops!" Roku said sheepishly.

"Where's the soap?" Quatre grumbled.

"I'll just leave you to it, then," said Wu-Fei and he beat a hasty retreat.

Trowa pushed up his sleeves. "Right. Let's get to work."

After his bath, Trowa and Quatre took Roku up to the room the three of them were sharing and rolled him in a blanket to dry him off.

"It's time for you to go to sleep, little one," said Quatre.

Roku yawned. "May I have a story?"

"Of course." Quatre sat on the bed with his back to the headboard and Roku climbed into his lap.

"Oof!" Quatre grunted. "You are getting mighty big, young man."

"I still fit," Roku mumbled as he snuggled against Quatre's chest. His big front paws rested on either shoulder, his warm nose was tucked against Quatre's neck and his tail was draped across Quatre's knees.

Quatre lifted an eyebrow at Trowa and Trowa smiled. He sat on the edge of the bed.

"Once upon a time…" Trowa began.

In the common room, one of the knights, Sir Damodin, was favoring the assembly with a song. It was a little raunchy.

_The knight said unto the lady fair, "Oh maiden, how shall I woo thee?"_

_And the maiden said with a modest blush, "Oh knight, thou must undo me."_

_Said he, "These knots I cannot breach! Thy purity still eludes me!"_

_Said she, "Oh sir, make haste, anon! My chastity sweats to serve thee!"_

_With many a grunt, he strove in vain to bare the lady's bosom._

_But alas, her gown held proof until he gave up in frustration._

_Said the knight, "Lift up your skirts, dear lass, and let me sow your garden!_

_The need to know your loveliness has made my manhood harden!"_

_Said the maid, "Thy words have made me faint! I fear I must bend over!_

_What can I do to stop your plow from furrowing my clover?"_

_And thus the knight did know the lass in the sweetness of her bower._

_For there in happy intercourse he took her maiden flower._

Damodin bowed to a raucous chorus of cheers and applause.

"Well sung, Damodin!" Hagrimore cried. "That's a right catchy tune. Let's have a toast!" He raised his mug. "To Damodin!" and he drained his ale in one long quaff.

The other knights raised their mugs and echoed the salute. "To Damodin!"

Heero and Duo glanced at each other and followed suit. "To Damodin!"

Wu-Fei looked a little green, but he lifted his mug, too. "To Damodin!"

Everyone tipped up their mugs and chugged their ale, except for Wu-Fei who only took a sip. He was definitely turning green.

Duo drained his mug as quickly as any knight and banged it down with a flourish. "Another round!" he cried, and tossed coins onto the table.

"Aye! Another round!" the knights cheered.

The waitresses brought out more mugs as fast as the bartenders could pour them.

One knight lifted his mug. "To Master Duo!"

"To Master Duo!" everyone echoed, and mugs were drained again.

Wu-Fei managed another sip, but now he was starting to sweat.

"You're not looking too good there, Fei," Heero said.

"I think I may be sick," Wu-Fei answered faintly. His voice quavered. "How can you drink this stuff?"

"I think it's pretty good."

Wu-Fei groaned. "If you'll excuse me," he whispered and hurried out.

"His stomach sure is sensitive," Duo remarked as he reached for Wu-Fei's half-finished ale. He drained it. "I think we need another round."

"Ho there, youngling!" Hagrimore exclaimed. "You're a bit slight to be drinking so much. You'll be gripping the bucket like your fire-breathing friend soon."

Duo straightened up. "Are you saying you can out-drink me, Sir Hagrimore?"

Hagrimore grinned. "Why lad, I fear that would be no contest at all."

"You don't say?" said Duo. "Would you care to put a little money on that?"

In no time at all, bets were being laid right and left on who could drink the most.

"You're not placing a wager?" Percival asked Heero.

"No," Heero stated flatly. "I've seen Duo drink. It wouldn't be fair."

Percival looked surprised. "But Hagrimore is so much larger."

"Trust me," said Heero. "Bet on Duo, if you've a mind to wager at all."

When the wagers were settled, five contestants sat at one table. The first round was brought and all five downed it immediately. A second round was brought, and then a third. One of the contestants fell over backward while he was still drinking his third mug and was left to snore on the floor.

"One down!" Damodin cried.

After two more rounds, a second knight passed out. The third clapped a hand over his mouth and staggered from the room after the next round, leaving just Hagrimore and Duo. Hagrimore's face was flushed and he seemed to be having trouble focusing. Duo just looked uncomfortable.

" 'Nother roun'!" Hagrimore brayed.

Two more mugs were placed in front of them. Hagrimore tried to grab his and missed.

"Hol' still!" he slurred. " 's'movin'!" He closed one eye and tilted his head, trying to focus. He made another grab and slapped his hand around the mug, sloshing out some of the contents. "Ha!" He lifted it unsteadily to his lips and drank, pouring half the ale down his chest.

Duo picked up his ale and gulped it down, with only a little liquid trailing down his cheeks. He plunked the mug down onto the table. "Ready for another round?" He grinned viciously at Hagrimore.

Hagrimore swayed unsteadily and squinted at Duo. "Ur pourin' it out!"

"No he's not," Damodin said.

Hagrimore turned to look at Damodin and fell off the bench. "Wait," he mumbled from the floor, " 'm not done!" He clutched the bench and tried to drag himself back onto it. The bench toppled over on top of him instead. He began to snore.

"The victor!" Damodin declared, clapping Duo on the back.

"Get outta the way!" Duo shouted. He jumped to his feet and charged for the door. "I gotta pee before I explode!"

Heero calmly finished his ale and winked at Percival. "Like I said, I've seen Duo drink." He collected Duo's winnings for him and left.

Heero went to the room that he was sharing with Wu-Fei and Duo and found Wu-Fei passed out on the bed. Duo arrived shortly after.

"Percival said you have my money."

"On the table," Heero pointed. "You cleaned up."

Duo grinned and rubbed his hands together. "When will these knights learn that size doesn't always matter?" He chuckled gleefully as he counted out the coins. Then he grinned at Heero. "You're not tired are you?"

"No."

"Oh goody! Shove Fei out of the way, I'm gonna need to lie down for this." He started to strip. "I confess I'm a little dizzy."

"And I thought you could hold your liquor."

"Up to a point," Duo replied good-naturedly. "But hurry up and get your pants off before I pass out."


	2. The Oracle Speaks

Chapter 2: The Oracle Speaks

Heero and Wu-Fei rose early the next morning and left Duo asleep in bed. They found Percival and Hagrimore in the dining room. Hagrimore looked miserable.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Heero said.

"Not so loud!" Hagrimore whispered hoarsely. He grimaced. "Please tell me that young pup Duo is as ill as I am."

"He's still sleeping it off," replied Heero.

"How fortunate for him!" Hagrimore put his head in his hands. "I wish I were still asleep."

"A meal will set you right, Sir Hagrimore," Percival said. He waved at the waitress. "Ho, my lass, porridge and fresh bread all around."

"And hot cider," Hagrimore added.

"I would like some tea," said Wu-Fei.

The waitress smiled brightly. "My mother makes a fine tea of rose hips and sweet herbs, sir. Would you care to try it?"

"That sounds fine."

"Very good, sir. I'll just be a moment with your food and drink." She hurried off to the kitchen.

Breakfast did seem to improve Hagrimore's condition. He was not so green by the time they set out for the abbey.

It was a pleasant morning for late winter. It was cold but the sun was shining. Percival and his companions rode out of town and into the countryside. The abbey was about a mile outside town on top of a low hill. The slopes of the hill and the fields around it were cultivated. The nuns were hard at work preparing the ground for spring planting.

As they neared the first group of industrious women, Percival reined his horse to a stop. "Good day, Holy Sisters," he greeted them. "I am Sir Percival of King Arthur's court. These good gentlemen and I desire to speak with the Oracle."

"Good day to you, sirs," one of the nuns said. She pointed toward the abbey. "Make your petition to the Mother Superior. She will know if Sister Eloise is inclined to speak today." The sister smiled. "I wish you good luck, for she has not spoken these two weeks past."

"My thanks," said Percival.

They rode on to the abbey, whose gate stood open. They dismounted and walked their horses through a short tunnel into the open interior. The abbey was a two storey stone building built in a large rectangle around a central square with a well in the middle. The gate was the only opening in the outer wall of the structure, other than windows on the second floor. Stained glass windows in the wall on their right indicated there was a chapel there. Directly ahead of them on the other side of the well were wide double doors leading into the building.

A woman in a nun's habit, but with a snow white wimple instead of the black wimples the other nuns wore, came out of the double doors as they stopped near the well.

"Welcome to the Abbey of the Seventh Cross," she said. "I am the Mother Superior, Mary Elizabeth. How may I be of service?"

Percival bowed. "We have come to speak to the Oracle, Holy Mother."

The Mother Superior frowned. "Sister Eloise's talent is not to be used lightly."

"I understand, Holy Mother," said Percival, "but my companions and I are knights of King Arthur's court and we are on a quest for the Holy Grail. We seek the Oracle's advice."

The Mother Superior's frown turned into a wide smile. "A most holy quest indeed!" she exclaimed. "Perhaps Sister Eloise will choose to speak today. Please leave your weapons here and follow me."

Wu-Fei lifted an eyebrow at Heero as he unbuckled his kitana. Heero frowned back as he removed his long sword from the left side of his waist and his short side from the right. Then he removed a knife from a hilt at the small of his back, two knives from his boot tops, two more from behind his shoulder blades, and a final two from inside his sleeves along his forearms.

"What about the rest of them?" asked Wu-Fei.

Heero scowled and produced five more knives.

The two older knights stared.

"I feel naked," Heero grumbled.

"I'm sure your martial arts skills are sufficient to protect you from nuns," Wu-Fei said.

Heero's scowl deepened.

"This way, gentlemen," the Mother Superior said. She didn't seem particularly concerned about Heero's combat readiness. She led them into the abbey, along a hall and up a flight of stairs into another hall. She stopped before a door at the end of the hall. "Please wait here while I see if Eloise will speak to you." The Mother Superior knocked on the door and immediately stepped through. She re-emerged a moment later and held the door open. "Please come in."

Sister Eloise was surprisingly young. Her face, framed by her wimple, was smooth and unlined. She had bright blue eyes, an upturned nose, high cheek bones, a small mouth, and a narrow pointed chin. Her mouth twitched into a small smile when she saw them. She stepped forward and touched first Heero and then Wu-Fei on the forehead.

"You don't belong!" she exclaimed with excitement.

Heero and Wu-Fei looked at each other in surprise.

The Mother Superior frowned slightly. "Sister Eloise," she admonished, "these gentlemen are on a quest for the Holy Grail and seek your guidance."

Eloise immediately schooled her expression and put on a serious demeanor. "Gentlemen," she said gravely, "speak your questions."

"Holy Sister, we seek a path to the Holy Grail that will also bring us enlightenment," said Percival. "How shall we proceed? Which way should we go?"

Eloise closed her eyes. "Seekers of the Grail!" she intoned, "the path to enlightenment is fraught with peril, but only the enlightened may achieve the goal of your quest." She opened her eyes. "On your journey, you must travel to places where knowledge may be found. At each stage, you will face trials which must be passed to proceed to the next stage. Only by passing the trial and gaining the knowledge will you know where to go next. The trials will challenge both body and mind." She smiled unexpectedly. "You have already passed the first trial, because instead of seeking blindly, you sought guidance."

The four men smiled at each other.

"May we then know from you, Holy Sister, where to go next?" asked Percival.

"You may," she replied, still smiling. "Go you to the Well of the Four Souls, which stands in the courtyard of Ettenmoor Castle. The one who succeeds in drinking water from the well will learn the knowledge you seek."

Percival bowed deeply and the other three copied him. "Accept out deepest gratitude, Holy Sister," said he.

"You are most welcome," she replied. "I hope you succeed." Then she grinned at Heero and Wu-Fei. "Stick to the quest at all costs, my friends. That way lays the path home for you and your companions."

Wu-Fei and Heero blinked in surprise.

"Thank you, Holy Sister," Wu-Fei said.

The four men filed out, followed by the Mother Superior.

"Sister Eloise has not spoken that much in a fortnight," the Mother Superior said. "You are most fortunate." She guided them back down to the courtyard. "I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you, Holy Mother," said Percival.

Hagrimore, Heero and Wu-Fei echoed his thanks. The four of them retrieved their weapons and led their horses back out through the gate.

As they mounted, Wu-Fei asked, "Do you know this Ettenmoor Castle, Sir Percival?"

"Aye, I do," Percival said. "It is some ten days travel from here."

"But it has no great reputation," Hagrimore added. "Methinks it will not be so easy to get a drink from the Well of Four Souls."

Percival pursed his lips and nodded grimly in agreement.

"Great!" said Heero sarcastically. "Sounds like fun."

The four of them started back for town.

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Quatre awoke to the feel of Roku's raspy tongue licking his face.

"What is it, Roku? It's the crack of dawn."

"The sun's been up forever and I'm hungry."

"Why don't you have breakfast with Papa Duo?" Quatre suggested. "You can go shopping with him afterward."

"Ok!" Roku leaped off the bed. "I'll see you later, Mama!" He opened the door with his teeth and pulled it shut behind him.

Quatre reached over and nudged Trowa, who was sprawled on his stomach. "The child is gone," Quatre whispered. "We're alone."

Trowa opened one eye and then rolled onto his side. "Oh, really?"

Quatre pushed him onto his back and straddled him. "I think we should take advantage of the opportunity."

Trowa smiled. "If you insist."

Down the hall, Roku leaped onto Duo's bed and planted his paws on Duo's chest.

"Wake up, Papa!" Roku cried. "It's time to eat breakfast and go shopping!"

Duo groaned. "What are you doing here?"

"Mama said you would take me shopping."

"I'll get Quatre for this!" Duo muttered. "Get off my chest. You weigh a ton."

Roku sat back. "Do you think I can have raw meat for breakfast?"

"You can have whatever you want, just don't talk so loud." Duo sat up, holding his head.

"Are you sick, Papa Duo?"

"No, just stupid," Duo groaned. "What was I thinking?" He focused one bleary eye on Roku. "A word of advice, my son: never agree to a drinking contest when you're already drunk."

"I don't like ale."

"Good lad." Duo crawled to the edge of the bed. "All right, I'm up. Let's go eat."

Duo tried not to watch as Roku gulped down a huge pile of meat scraps the kitchen had set aside for stew meat. He nibbled on a little plain bread and sipped some tea.

Some of the knights were in the dining room by this time as well, and most of them looked no better than Duo.

"I pity Sir Hagrimore," Damodin said. "I hear Percival dragged him out at sunup."

"That was cruel," Duo said. "Doesn't the Oracle take visitors in the afternoon?"

Damodin shrugged. "The maid I, ah, spoke with last night said the Mother Superior sometimes turns supplicants away if she deems them unworthy."

" 'Spoke with'!" snickered a knight. " 'Poked' is more like it!"

Damodin flushed. "A gentleman does not speak casually of his dalliances."

"So make a song of it then and give us the details!" someone exclaimed. "I warrant those of us with no dalliances to hide will be glad to hear of it."

Damodin blushed brighter. "Remember, sirs, you are gentlemen!" he exclaimed.

"And what about you, Master Duo?" the same knight asked. "You're prettier than Damodin. Have you sweet tales to tell the rest of us, or did drink get the better of you?"

Duo looked horrified. "If I ever get too drunk for sex, I'll give up drinking!" Then he glanced at Roku. "But I'm under orders from my son's Mama not to talk about such things in front of him. Sorry gents!"

"Too bad!"

The knights seemed genuinely disappointed.

"You done there, Roku?" asked Duo. "Daylight's burning and the marketplace is calling."

Roku was lapping water rather messily from a mug. He tipped it over. "Oops!" He grinned at Duo. "I guess I'm done."

"Ok then! Let's shop!" Duo and Roku left the inn, after getting directions to the market square from one of the waitresses.

They did not return until sunset.

Quatre was less than happy.

"Where have you been?" Quatre demanded. "Heero and the others have been back for hours. Trowa and I looked all over for you."

Duo tried to look innocent. "There were a lot of stores!"

"I know! We went in most of them looking for you."

"Mama!" Roku interrupted excitedly. "Papa Duo bought me a book!" He stuck his nose under his left front leg and produced a thick, leather-bound volume. He dropped it on the floor with a thud. "It has stories about knights and dragons and sorcerers and stuff!" He sat down, flicking his tail. "I was reading!" he said proudly.

Wu-Fei patted his head. "That's very good, Roku. Let me see that book." He picked it up and began flipping through the pages.

Quatre's annoyed frown faded slightly. "What else did you do?"

"We went in a whole bunch of stores and Papa Duo bought tons of stuff and we ate three times and had snacks twice and we took a nap and Papa Duo played dice with some men and then we went in more stores and bought more stuff and then Papa Duo bought me the book, so we read for a long time and then we had another snack and then we came back."

Quatre, Trowa, Heero and Wu-Fei stared at him. Then they all turned to stare at Duo.

"In one day?" Trowa asked, astonished.

"Duo always has been efficient," said Heero. He sounded a little astonished, too.

"I got on a roll," Duo said.

"You must be exhausted," Quatre said to Roku.

"No, but I'm hungry," Roku said. "Is it dinnertime yet?"

"How can you possibly be hungry?" Quatre exclaimed. "If I counted right, you've eaten six times since breakfast!"

"They were small meals?" Roku offered hopefully.

"He's a growing boy!" Duo said.

"Apparently," Quatre replied.

"Well, we should eat and get to bed," said Heero. "Percival wants to make an early start in the morning."

Wu-Fei handed the book back to Roku, who tucked it back under his foreleg into nothing.

"I'm not drinking any ale tonight," Wu-Fei announced. "I think I missed all the fun last night."

"Oh, I don't think so," Duo said with a wink. "I passed out after just one time and I don't think Heero was finished."

Wu-Fei looked aggrieved. "And you didn't wake me?"

Heero shrugged. "I didn't need you to be awake. "You were already in the right position."

"Do you mind, gentlemen?" Quatre asked pointedly. He nodded at Roku, who was following the conversation with his ears perked up.

"Sorry."

"Maybe we should go have dinner," Trowa said.

"Yeah!" Roku agreed. He jumped up and bounded off for the dining room.

Quatre looked warningly at the others. "You're going to totally corrupt that boy."

"Quatre, the kid has four fathers and a mother who's a guy," said Duo. "I don't think he was ever innocent."

"Can't you at least humor me?" Quatre asked plaintively.

Trowa put an arm around his shoulders. "Roku is a sweet child, Quatre. I don't think knowing about our sexual habits will change that."

Quatre hung his head. "I'm a terrible mother."

"No, you're not."

Roku was waiting for them just inside the dining room door, sitting neatly with his tail around his paws. When they arrived, he hopped up and began winding around Quatre's legs.

"Mama, may I have another bath after dinner?"

"Of course you may, sweetie. I just heard your Papas Duo, Heero and Wu-Fei say how much they would love to give you a bath tonight."

The three named individuals stared at Quatre in dismay.

"Oh, goody!" said Roku.

"Why us?" Duo exclaimed.

"Because he's your son, too," said Quatre. "You can bring him to my room after he's dry." He ruffled Roku's ears. "We'll read from your new book before we go to sleep," he added.

Roku purred happily.


	3. Journey to Ettenmoor

**Dear Readers**: I'm glad to see many of my old friends catching up on my new story. Let's continue!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 3: Journey to Ettenmoor

The party left early the next morning to begin the journey to Ettenmoor Castle.

"Shouldn't we buy supplies?" Duo asked as they set out.

"It won't be necessary right away," Percival said. "There are several towns along our route where we can stop for meals. We can get supplies in a few days."

"But what about snacks?"

"Geez, Duo, do you ever think about anything besides your stomach?" Heero grumbled.

"Sure!" Duo grinned. "I was thinking about something other than my stomach last night!"

Heero rolled his eyes.

Roku trotted along beside the horses, periodically dashing off the road to investigate something interesting.

"Mama! I smell rabbits!" Roku shouted during one excursion.

"Please try not to go out of sight, Roku!" Quatre called back. "I worry!"

"About him or the rabbits?" Trowa said. "He's a tiger, Quatre. I don't think there are too many things in the English countryside that can hurt him."

"I know, but he's still just a little boy."

"Who is probably the most powerful sorcerer in England, according to Merlin," Wu-Fei reminded him.

"He's still my baby."

"You're going to have to let go sooner or later, Quatre," Heero said.

"Then I choose later!"

"You're such a worry-wart, Quatre!" Duo laughed. "Roku couldn't have a more protective mother. But if it will make you feel better, I'll ask my knife." Duo pulled the blade out of its sheath. "Hey, Knife! Is there anything around here that could hurt Roku?"

_There is nothing in these parts that can harm the tiger._

"There!" Duo said. "The knife says there's nothing around here that could hurt Roku."

Roku came galloping back. "These bunnies run faster than Jean-Pierre!"

This elicited a burst of laughter from the knights.

"Do you suppose _Monsieur_ Galvoisin's ass has healed enough for him to ride home yet?" Hagrimore chuckled.

"It's gonna be a lonely trip, thanks to Wu-Fei," said Duo.

Wu-Fei looked faintly guilty. "Let's not discuss that, shall we?" he asked primly. Then he frowned and reached behind himself to scratch his back. "Dammit! It's starting to itch again!"

"Oh, yeah? Let me have a look." Duo guided his horse next to Wu-Fei's and leaned across. He peaked down the back of Wu-Fei's shirt. "Hold still a second." He stuck his hand inside Wu-Fei's shirt and scratched. Then he pulled his hand out and looked at his fingertips curiously. "Have a look at this." He held his hand in front of Wu-Fei's face.

Wu-Fei stared at Duo's fingers. "Don't tell me…" he trailed off in dismay.

"Yup. You're shedding."

"This is so wrong!" Wu-Fei cried. "I'm gonna kill that bloody dragon if I ever see him again!"

"Wu-Fei's shedding!" Trowa exclaimed. He moved closer to have a look.

Quatre and Heero rode closer as well.

"That's kind of neat," Quatre said. "Look at the way the scales sparkle after they come off. They're translucent."

"We should keep them," Heero said. "Aren't dragon scales supposed to have medicinal or magical properties?"

"I'm glad everyone's enjoying this!" Wu-Fei growled.

Roku trotted over to them. "What's everybody looking at?"

"Papa Wu-Fei is shedding his scales," Duo said.

"Really? I want to see!"

"When we stop, sweetie," Quatre said. "Papa Wu-Fei can take his shirt off and we can all get a better look at it."

"Let's stop now!" Wu-Fei complained. "This itching is driving me crazy! My shirt just keeps irritating it."

"We have been riding for a while," Trowa said. "I wouldn't mind stretching my legs for a minute. I'll ask Percival." He rode ahead to catch up with the knight.

Trowa and Percival talked for a moment and then Percival nodded. He reined his horse off the road and stopped in the shade under a grove of trees. The other knights followed him and soon the whole group was stopped under the trees.

"I see a stream just back there." Damodin pointed through the grove. "We should water the horses."

Wu-Fei, however, was not interested in any stream. He stripped off his shirt impatiently. "Please tell me you brought some oil, Duo!" he exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure I bought some in town yesterday." Duo looked at Roku, who was standing on his hind legs to get a better look at Wu-Fei's shedding scales. "Roku, didn't I get some oil at that perfume shop?"

"Yes you did, Papa Duo. I have it."

"Well, fish it out for me. And didn't I give you a little empty jar to hold for me, too?"

"Yes."

"Get that out, too, then. We can put some of the scales in it."

"Ok." Roku sat down and tucked his nose under his foreleg. He produced a red silk scarf. "Hmm… That's not it." He reached in again and produced a leather pouch with a few coins in it. He frowned. "Where did I put it?" he muttered to himself. He stuck his nose under his other leg and produced a small wooden ball. Then he brought out the book Duo bought him. "This isn't right. Everything's all jumbled up." He began pulling out item after item, and a pile of assorted objects began growing up around him. Four pieces of cloth in different colors, a set of keys, a cloth doll, a set of wooden blocks with letters on them, a shiny blue ribbon, a piece of cheese, a trencher, a hairbrush made with boar bristles, three wooden cups and a bronze pitcher, a green silk shirt, a set of dice, a deck of cards, a little clay jar with a waxed cork stopper, a larger jar of thick green glass with a lid with a metal clamp, a gold bracelet and a wooden comb. "Ok, that's everything," he announced with a look of satisfaction.

Everyone was staring at him with open mouths.

"What?" Roku said.

"Where did you get all that?" Quatre said.

"Around. Or from Papa Duo."

Quatre looked at Duo.

Duo tried to look innocent.

He failed.

"There are the jars I wanted," Duo said quickly. "Wu-Fei, let me tend to your scales." He grabbed the two jars and edged around Quatre toward Wu-Fei.

Hagrimore and a few other knights squatted down around Roku to have a look at his stash.

"What have you got in your purse, youngster?" Hagrimore asked, pointing at the leather pouch.

"Four copper coins, three silver ones and a gold one."

"You have a gold coin!" one of the knights exclaimed. "That's right unfair for a youngster like him to have gold. I haven't managed to hold on to a gold coin since I took my vows!"

"Papa Duo gave it to me!" Roku said proudly. "He said it was important to always have some emergency funds, just in case."

The knight nodded in mournful agreement. "My late father tried to pound the same lesson into me when I was a boy. Perhaps it would have stuck if he'd backed it up with a little seed money, like Master Duo there." He sighed.

"Well, you'd better pack all this back up, my lad," said Hagrimore. "We'll be moving on as soon as our young dragon gets his back scratched."

"Ok."

Wu-Fei was sitting cross-legged in front of Duo, who was diligently scratching off Wu-Fei's scales and putting them in the little clay pot. Heero watched over Duo's shoulder and occasionally lent a hand.

"This doesn't hurt, does it?" Duo asked.

"No. It feels good." Wu-Fei wriggled his shoulders. "Keep going."

"There are a lot more of them than I thought," Heero said. "The pot's nearly full." He rubbed a couple of the scales between his fingertips. "They still feel really hard, but they're kind of flexible. I wonder if we could make these into a shirt? It might work better than chain mail. They would certainly be a lot lighter."

Quatre came over and scratched a few scales off. He stepped out into the sunlight and held them up. The scales glittered like chips of colored glass. "I think I remember a spell or two involving dragon scales. I'll see what I can come up with for you, Heero. But I think we'll need a lot more scales."

"Shouldn't be a problem if Fei sheds like this every spring," said Duo. "Two more years and you should have enough to make a cloak."

"I'm not amused, Duo," said Wu-Fei.

"I'm just stating a fact!" Duo defended himself. "You're not the one back here seeing how much is coming off. But anyway, I think I'm about done." He scraped off the last few scales and put them in the pot. "There. All done." He opened the glass jar and tipped some oil into his palm.

"Ahh!" Wu-Fei sighed with pleasure as Duo began rubbing the oil onto his back.

"It looks like the new scales are already coming in," Duo said. "The oil makes them shiny." He leaned close. "Color pattern looks about the same, but I think they're spreading a little. About half your back looks to be scaled now."

"Oh great!"

"It still looks really nice," Duo assured him.

"Hmph!" Wu-Fei grumbled.

Duo finished and Wu-Fei put his shirt back on. He shifted his shoulders about a little and then nodded.

"I guess that's ok," Wu-Fei said. "This still sucks, though."

"Let's get moving," said Trowa

"Mama, may I ride with you?" Roku said. "I'm tired."

"Of course, dear," Quatre said. "Why don't you switch to your human form for a while? It will be easier."

"Ok." Roku shimmered into a little boy. Quatre had made sure he had some properly fitting clothes to wear before they left court so he could change between forms comfortably.

"That's a right useful skill, I must say," Damodin remarked.

Quatre lifted Roku up onto his horse and then mounted behind him. Roku leaned back against him, closed his eyes and promptly went to sleep.

"If you ask me," said Hagrimore, "that's an even more useful skill."

The group resumed their journey. An hour's travel brought them to a village with a large inn just off the road. The inn had several outdoor tables in a courtyard surrounded by a low stone wall. The company took over three of the tables, clamoring for food and drink. A boy and girl in their late teens, who looked enough alike to be twins, hurried out with trays of meat and bread, and tankards of ale. The boy brought a mug of milk for Roku.

"I would like some milk, too, please," Wu-Fei said.

The serving boy looked surprised, but he hurried off to get it without a word.

"That ale is horrible enough with dinner," Wu-Fei explained. "I can't imagine the discomfort of sitting on a horse with a bellyful of it."

"Perhaps you would prefer a bit of French wine," Hagrimore said. "I hear dragons are quite partial to the stuff."

Wu-Fei glared at him. "I am not a dragon."

"You're getting mighty close, my friend."

Wu-Fei mumbled something unflattering under his breath.

The serving girl leaned past Duo to put a tankard in front of him.

"What's that?" Duo asked her.

She looked at him in surprise. "I didn't say anything, Sir."

"No? I thought I heard you say something about my hair."

The girl flushed. "Oh! I was just thinking that it's very pretty. I've never seen such long hair on a man before." She curtsied and hurried away, still blushing.

"That's weird," Duo said. "I could have sworn I heard her say something."

"I didn't hear her say anything," Heero said. He was seated right next to Duo. "You're just so proud of that mop of yours, you probably just imagined it."

Duo grinned at him. "I thought you liked my hair."

Heero frowned. "Shut up and eat," he muttered.

"The meat tastes different when it's cooked," Roku said.

"Well, you should eat it cooked when you're human, Roku," Quatre said. "I'm not sure raw meat is good for you in this form."

"Ok." Roku snuggled against Quatre's side and ate off of the same plate, swinging his little feet under the table.

"Man, he's cute!" Duo said. "We sure made one adorable kid."

"He is pretty cute," Trowa said. "I wonder what his Aunties will say?"

Roku looked up. "I have Aunties?"

"Yup," Trowa said. "Your Mama has a couple of dozen sisters back home."

"Will I get to meet them?"

"I hope so," Quatre said. "The Oracle said we could find our way home on this quest. If that's true, you'll get to meet your Aunties and all of our old friends."

"I hope they like me."

"Of course they'll like you, Roku! Everyone likes you."

"I don't think Jean-Pierre liked me."

"Well, that was no loss. We didn't like Jean-Pierre either."

And so the journey went. For the first six days, they stopped at inns for meals and to spend the night. But on the morning of the seventh day, Percival had them buy supplies.

"From here," Percival said, "we must strike across country. Ettenmoor Castle stands in the middle of a vast moor. It is poor land, suitable only for grazing sheep, so there are few settlements. We may see a farmstead or two, but that will be it."

Percival was right. The land they traveled through for the next three days was dismal, open plain covered in scrubby gorse and heather. It might have been pretty later in the spring, but at the moment, everything was just gray. Rain clouds swept in and they rode bundled in their cloaks. Roku, back in tiger form, huddled underneath Quatre's cloak, making Quatre look pregnant again.

The steady drizzle dampened everyone's spirits, including Duo.

"I think I'm catching a cold," Duo complained. He sneezed violently, startling his horse.

"If you were wearing cotton instead of silk, you'd be warmer," Wu-Fei said.

"I have on three pairs of underwear!" Duo grumbled. "I should be warm, silk or not."

"I'll start a fire when we stop for the night," Wu-Fei said. "That will warm you up."

"You are a true friend!" Duo said with a reverent smile.

In fact, Wu-Fei was probably the most popular member of the group that night. Under normal circumstances, the rain would have made a fire impossible, but Wu-Fei was not in the least deterred by the damp brush. His fiery breath first dried the brush and then set it aflame. Everyone huddled close to the heat and agreed that, scales or not, Wu-Fei was a decent fellow.

They came upon Ettenmoor Castle two days later in the afternoon, with the sun just starting to break through the clouds. It was not an inviting place. The walls were constructed of dark gray stone that was streaked with black. It stood on top of a low rise, looking gloomy and uninhabited.

"Does anyone live there?" Quatre asked.

"Ettenmoor Castle was abandoned twenty or thirty years ago," Percival said.

"It's haunted," Hagrimore stated matter-of-factly.

"Haunted!" Duo exclaimed. "Why didn't you mention this before? Are we sure we want to go there?"

"It's not haunted," Percival said, and he frowned at Hagrimore. "The castle's last inhabitants died of plague, so people avoid it."

"That sounds like a good idea," Duo said. "Maybe we should do the same."

"Someone needs to take a drink from the well in the castle courtyard," Wu-Fei said. "That's what the oracle told us."

"I'll go," Heero said. "If the castle is abandoned, there's nothing to fear. Twenty-year-old plague is hardly a threat."

"We should all go," Quatre said sternly.

"I agree," said Percival. "We are seeking understanding, after all. What good is it to turn back at the first challenge?"

They rode up to the castle's forbidding walls only to discover that there was no gate. They rode all the way around the castle, but no entrance was to be found.

"Well, this is a might puzzling," Hagrimore exclaimed, scratching his head. "I thought you said people used to live here, Percival."

"They did," Percival said, equally puzzled.

"What do we do now?" someone asked. "Those walls look too smooth to climb."

"Let's make camp," Percival replied. "We are obviously going to have to think about this."

"Well," Wu-Fei said, "the oracle did make it sound like it wouldn't be easy."

"Too bad you didn't grow wings along with those scales, Fei," Duo replied.

"Very funny."

"That is an idea, though," Trowa said. "Quatre, can't you change into a bird and fly in there?"

Quatre looked up at the walls thoughtfully. "I suppose, although I've never done a bird before." He concentrated for a moment, and then shimmered into a large hawk. He looked himself over, fluffed out his wings, and then leaped into the sky. He circled up to the top of the wall and flew over.

Everyone stood still, staring up at the wall.

Quatre reappeared and swooped down to the ground. He shimmered back into his own shape. "It looks like someone walled up the gate from the inside."

"Did you see the Well of the Four Souls?" asked Percival.

"Yes, but getting to it won't be easy."

"You can't reach it from the air?"

"I think the ogre guarding it will try to eat me."

"What!" several people exclaimed at once.

Quatre nodded. "Yup, there's an ogre in there. Big one, too. And we're going to have to kill it in order to reach the well."


	4. The Ogre of Ettenmoor

Chapter 4: The Ogre of Ettenmoor

"I still say the oracle could have mentioned the damn ogre!" Duo complained.

"It's an oracle's job to be inscrutable, Duo," Heero said.

"In fact," added Wu-Fei, "she told us a lot more than I would have expected. And she did imply that getting a drink from the well would not be easy."

"That is true," agreed Percival. "In any event, we must devise a plan to remove or destroy the ogre in order to reach the well. Any ideas?"

"We have to get into the castle first," Trowa said, "and that won't be easy without a gate."

"Aye, we need to knock down the barrier," Hagrimore said.

"I'll take care of that," said Quatre. "I know where the gate used to be. The wall is thinner there." He walked around the wall to the left and faced the wall at a spot that didn't look any different to anyone else.

"Hang on a sec," Duo said. "If you knock the wall down, won't the ogre just come rushing out and attack us?"

"Probably." Quatre grinned. "I'd get your swords out, if I were you."

The knights exchanged worried glances and began drawing their swords.

"How big would you say that ogre is, Master Quatre?" Hagrimore asked.

"About ten or twelve feet tall," Quatre said. He winked at Duo. "That's three and a half or four meters to you and me."

"Crap!"

"Everyone ready?" Quatre asked brightly. He faced the wall and lifted his arms with his palms facing toward each other. "_Novi inlustris apparere!_" he cried. A huge ball of brilliant white flame appeared between his hands above his head. Quatre moved his arms slightly backward and then flung his hands forward. The ball of fire shot toward the wall and smashed into it with an enormous explosion of smoke and flame.

There was a tremendous crash. Amid the plumes of smoke and dust, the wall collapsed seemingly in slow motion, sending rocks tumbling in all directions.

There was a startled roar from inside the castle.

"To arms!" Percival cried, and he charged toward the opening that Quatre had made in the wall.

With excited shouts and assorted battle cries, the other knights fell in behind him, with Heero and Hagrimore in the lead. Duo, Trowa and Wu-Fei charged forward as well.

"Please wait here, Roku!" Quatre shouted, and he dashed off after the others.

Roku dashed from side to side, nearly vibrating with excitement. Then he charged forward too.

As the knights scrambled somewhat clumsily over the jumble of fallen rocks, Heero, Duo, Trowa and Wu-Fei leaped lightly ahead of them, skipping from stone to stone easily.

The ogre reared up in front of the well. It had a thick, muscular body covered in coarse, wiry hair and a rather pig-like face, with short tusks rising up from either side of its broad, flat snout. It clutched a massive club in its right hand that probably weighed more than any of the Gundam pilots. It stared at them for a moment with tiny red eyes and then charged toward them with a furious roar that shook more stones down from the breach in the wall.

The four pilots scattered as the ogre swung at them. A couple of young knights on their heels were not so lucky. One took the ogre's club full on his side and was crushed into the knight next to him. Both men were flung across the courtyard and into the wall, were they collapsed like rag dolls.

Damodin just escaped being hit by flinging himself to the ground.

Heero slashed at the ogre's right arm. His sword glanced off harmlessly.

Wu-Fei faired no better with his kitana.

"Damn!" Heero shouted. "Its skin is like stone!"

More swords clattered against the ogre's rocky hide, but none were able to cut it.

The ogre was surprisingly quick. Only the weight of its club seemed to be slowing it down. It managed to clip a few more knights while they hacked away at it. It continued to roar angrily.

"This is useless!" Percival cried. "It will just wear us down and finish us off one by one!"

"Can you do anything, Quatre?" Trowa shouted. "Can you blow it up?"

"Not without killing the rest of you!" Quatre shouted back.

"We had best retreat, Percival!" Hagrimore shouted, "Before it crushes any more of us!"

The knights backed away, along with the five pilots. Surprisingly, the ogre did not follow them. It moved back in front of the well and stood there, glaring at them ferociously.

"It would seem the beast means to keep us from reaching the well," Damodin remarked, panting.

"Great!" said Duo. "We can't kill it and it won't let us get anywhere near the well."

"And if I try to blow it up where it's standing," Quatre added, "I'll probably collapse the well mouth."

"Can you set it on fire, Fei?" Heero asked.

Wu-Fei shook his head. "Not from here. I'd need to get within a few arm lengths of it, well inside club-range."

"I doubt it would do any good anyway," Hagrimore said. "I've heard that ogre's are fireproof. They're one of the few things dragons fear, or at least respect."

"So what are you going to do?" Roku asked.

Quatre whirled around. "I told you to wait outside!" He hurried over to Roku. "This is dangerous, sweetie."

"I wanted to watch!"

Quatre put a hand over his face. "I am not cut out to be a mother."

"What else do you know about ogres, Hagrimore?" Wu-Fei asked.

"They're territorial, loners, immortal unless killed, and they stink."

"I'll attest to that last thing," Duo said. "This one reeks."

"What do they eat?" Trowa asked. "If this one's been locked up in here for the last twenty years, what has it been living on?"

"Well, that's the interesting thing," Hagrimore said. "Ogres will eat pretty much anything at all. They can eat rock. That's probably why its skin is so hard."

"No way!" Duo said. "Rock?"

"Aye, rock."

"Can't you turn it into something, Quatre? Like you did all those knights?" asked Heero.

"I can try," Quatre replied, "but you know the spell won't last." He studied the ogre speculatively, then pointed at it and spoke. Blue light shimmered briefly around the ogre, but it did not change shape. "Hmm…" Quatre said. He tried again. The ogre shimmered again, but again did not change. "Well, you can add that to your sum of ogre knowledge, Hagrimore. They seem to be immune to magic."

"That's downright unfair," one knight muttered.

Quatre sat down on a rock. Roku sat next to him.

Taking his example, Trowa, Heero, Duo and Wu-Fei also sat down.

The ogre squatted down on its haunches facing them, the head of its big club resting on the ground.

"We could wait until nightfall and try to sneak past it in the dark," someone suggested.

Hagrimore looked doubtful.

"Don't tell me," Duo said, "it can see in the dark."

Hagrimore nodded. "And its sense of smell is wicked sharp."

"It's the perfect guardian," Heero said admiringly.

"So what is compelling it to guard the well?" asked Percival. "If it is truly immune to magic, how was it convinced to remain here? This is hardly the natural habitat of an ogre."

"There's another ogre in the well," Roku said.

"What!" Everyone stared at him.

"I can smell it," Roku said. "There's another ogre."

"But you said they were loners, Hagrimore," Duo said. "Why would this ogre stay with another one?"

"It's a girl," said Roku.

Everyone stared at Roku again.

Roku pointed a paw at the crouching ogre. "It's a girl. Maybe the ogre in the well is her baby."

Everyone turned to stare at the ogre.

"I'll be damned!" said Hagrimore. "It never occurred to me that ogre's came in two sexes."

"Where else would little ogres come from, if they're not magic?" Roku asked innocently.

"Where else indeed?" Quatre said with a smile. He rubbed Roku's ears affectionately. "We need to get the other ogre out of the well."

"And how are we going to do that?" asked Duo.

"Levitation," Quatre replied. "Just give me a second." He closed his eyes and pressed his hands together in front of him, as if he were praying. "I need your help, Roku," he said softly. "Can you tell where the other ogre is?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Good. Give me your paw." Quatre held out one hand. Roku put a paw in it. "Now, I'll say the spell, but you point at the ogre in the well, ok?"

"Ok."

Quatre began to speak and Roku pointed at the ground in front of the well. There was a startled squeal from deep inside the well. The ogre surged upright and whirled toward the well with an answering cry. After several moments, a small ogre floated up out of the well. The larger ogre immediately dropped the club and leaped forward to snatch the smaller ogre out of the air.

"That's kind of sad," Duo said. "That poor ogre's been stuck down their twenty years."

"Well," said Hagrimore, "since ogres live pretty much forever, I doubt they felt the passage of time they way we would have. And in another twenty or thirty years, it would likely have grown big enough to climb out on its own. I think."

"Why don't we let them leave?" Heero suggested.

He moved to one side of the courtyard. Everyone else followed suit, clustering against one wall. The larger ogre shifted the little ogre to one arm and picked up its club. It watched the humans suspiciously as it trudged past them toward the re-opened gate. The ogre kicked its way through the fallen stones and disappeared.

Percival looked sadly at the injured knights. "It is unfortunate we did not discover this secret before the battle."

There were nods all around. Two knights lay gravely injured and another two suffered less serious wounds.

Quatre pushed up his sleeves. "Wu-Fei, will you help me with the wounded, please?"

"Of course."

"Sir Percival," said Hagrimore, "the Well of Four Souls awaits you. The rest of us will make a camp and tend to the injured."

Percival and Heero walked to the well. The stones along the top edge were worn smooth, perhaps from years of the mother ogre leaning over to look for her offspring. Heero picked up a pebble, tossed it in and started counting. He reached eight before they heard a splash.

"The water's pretty far down," Heero said.

"Aye," agreed Percival. "We need rope and a bucket." He looked at the ruins of the castle. "Let's see what there is to be found."

A search of the first floor of the castle, which was all that Percival deemed safe, produced a rickety wooden bucket with some noticeable holes and a good-sized length of fraying rope. They returned to the courtyard, looped the rope through a hole near the rim of the bucket and lowered it into the well. When they pulled it up, the bucket was leaking steadily, but it contained water.

"Well, Sir Heero, which of us shall drink of the Well of Four Souls?"

"You should have the honor, Sir Percival," Heero said. "This is the first true trial on the quest."

Percival nodded. "Very well." He lifted the bucket to his lips and drank. After a long swallow, he lowered it and looked at Heero with a slightly puzzled expression. Then his eyes glazed over and he went stiff, staring straight ahead.

"In the Cave of the Hermit, on the edge of Beardley Bog, lies the Key to the Room with No Doors, in the Church of Motten Bluff. Read you there the memoir of the Hermit."

Percival swayed and blinked in surprise. "How now?" He sounded groggy.

"You've given us the next stage in the journey, Percival," Heero said. "But I think you'd better sit down." He helped Percival over to a rock.

"What did I say?" Percival asked.

Heero told him.

"Indeed? I know of a town called Motten Bluff. It is but a few days journey from here. But I am not sure about Beardley Bog, and I have never heard of this Cave of the Hermit."

"Well," said Heero, "I think we should go to this Motten Bluff and ask around."

"I agree."

They joined the rest of the party. It turned out that while Heero and Percival had been engaged in their search of the castle, most of the others had been busily rounding up the horses, which had scattered when the ogres left the castle. They were only just starting to lay out bedrolls on one side of the courtyard and unpack provisions.

Wu-Fei was bandaging the two less injured knights using strips torn from cloth out of Roku's stash. Roku, in human form, was helping him. One of the knights had a nasty scalp wound. The other was sporting a broken wrist.

Quatre, Hagrimore and a couple of the other knights were carefully removing the armor from the two badly injured knights, who'd taken the ogre's first blow, so the severity of their wounds could be assessed. One knight had smacked his head against the wall and appeared to have a cracked skull. The other, who had absorbed the brunt of the blow, had cracked ribs and probably a punctured lung.

Quatre pursed his lips. "These wounds shouldn't be life-threatening, but they're both going to need plenty of rest for the next few weeks. They can't continue on the quest."

Hagrimore nodded. "I agree. We must take them to the nearest town with a proper inn, where they can recuperate before returning to Camelot."

"Someone should stay with them and escort them home as well," Percival added.

"There's wood in the castle," Heero said. "We can make litters."

"Ah, very good."

By nightfall, enough wood had been obtained from the castle, mostly the remains of furniture and pieces of fallen upper floors, to not only construct two litters but to build three large fires. They also drew more water from the well, which thankfully did not have oracular effects on anyone. The wounded men were made as comfortable as possible and everyone else settled down for the night, except Heero, who felt that some kind of guard should be maintained.

"Wake me up at midnight, Heero," Duo said. "I'll take over. I'll wake Fei up sometime before dawn."

"Sounds good." Heero snagged a couple of strips of beef jerky and an apple and went outside the gate. He perched on a piece of fallen stone and munched on his dinner.

"So, this Motten Bluff," Hagrimore said as he ate. "What kind of town might it be?"

"I don't know," Percival replied. "I can only say that I've heard of it, and have a good idea where it is."

"You don't suppose we'll run into something like that ogre in the Cave of the Hermit?" Trowa asked.

"I hope not!" Duo said fervently. His comment was echoed by several others.

"I doubt it," Percival said. "But I can't help but feel that we will run into some obstacle, nevertheless."

"And if not in the Cave of the Hermit," said Quatre, "there's always the Room with No Doors."

"And if it has no doors," wondered Duo, "what are we supposed to do with this key we're supposed to find in the Cave of the Hermit?"

"It is quite a conundrum," Hagrimore said.

"It sure is," Trowa agreed. He smiled as he watched the little boy Roku climb into Quatre's lap and fall asleep with his head on Quatre's shoulder. "I think it's time to sleep."

"I agree," said Percival. "We should all try to sleep. In the morning, we can decide where to leave our wounded comrades before proceeding on to Motten Bluff."

There were nods and murmurs of agreement all around, and everyone began wrapping themselves in blankets and stretching out on the ground near one of the fires.

Quatre wrapped a blanket around himself and Roku. "How is it he can manage to radiate just as much heat as a human as he can as a tiger? I'm going to swelter."

"Then why use the blanket?" Duo asked.

"I don't want him to get cold," Quatre replied with complete sincerity.

"That doesn't make any sense," Wu-Fei said.

"I don't think his mind works quite right when his protective mother genes kick in," whispered Duo.

"Ah."

"I heard that."


	5. The Town of Motten Bluff

Chapter 5: The Town of Motten Bluff

The party traveled three days to return to the large town where they had purchased supplies before going to Ettenmoor Castle. They selected a comfortable inn to house their wounded comrades, forking over enough coin to ensure their comfort and to provide for their return trip to Camelot in a few weeks.

"Do not be distressed about ending your quest so soon, my friends," Percival assured them. "Remember, the Quest for the Holy Grail is as much about enlightenment as it is about finding the holy relic. Think instead of what you have learned."

"He sure says that a lot," Duo murmured to Wu-Fei. "Do you suppose he really means it?"

"Of course he does," Wu-Fei said. "And I would expect someone of your upbringing to appreciate the sentiment."

"It sounds like a built-in excuse for failure, if you ask me," Heero grumbled. "Why go on a quest if you don't plan to succeed?"

"Perhaps this quest is more of a spiritual journey," Trowa said. "Perhaps Percival measures success in different terms."

"Hmph!" Heero hmphed.

Although Percival had planned to leave only the four wounded knights behind, a fifth, Sir Holwith, elected to end his quest and remain with the injured, "to provide for their comfort," he said. Percival accepted this at face value, until they were on the road once more.

"I do not wish to seem uncharitable," said Percival, "but I have always had the impression that Sir Holwith is somewhat lacking in the courage I would expect to see in a typical knight."

"You mean he's a coward," Heero stated flatly.

Percival looked a little guilty. "Well, I would not want to put it in such blunt terms," he replied. "He did join the fight in Ettenmoor."

"Two dozen against one ogre might seem favorable odds even to a coward," Heero answered.

"Perhaps." Percival shook his head. "Nevertheless, I am disappointed he chose not to go on."

"I'm not!" Hagrimore announced. "I agree with Sir Heero. The man's a coward. We're better off without him."

Although several knights immediately echoed Hagrimore, a few others exchanged nervous glances. Noting that, Quatre frowned.

"I think we'd be better off if a few more of this lot had decided to stay with Holwith," Quatre muttered to Trowa.

"Don't worry about it," Trowa said. "If we run into any more trouble like that ogre, I daresay we'll lose a few more of them."

"One can only hope."

They arrived in Motten Bluff four days later. It was a thriving town of perhaps five hundred residents, surrounded by farms and pastures. It was pleasant, except when the wind blew from the west, carrying a faint odor of rotting vegetation. The town was indeed situated on a bluff and it was dominated by a large stone church, whose towering steeple was the highest point for miles around.

A few blocks from the church was a large inn, which everyone agreed looked like a good place to stop.

"Mayhap the innkeeper will be able to answer some of our questions," Percival said.

He could.

"You oughtn't to be asking decent folk about the Secret Room," Mister Burnberry, the innkeeper, exclaimed. "It's cursed and even to talk of it is bad luck."

"But it's in the church!" Duo exclaimed. "How can a room in a church be cursed?"

"Well, you'll have to ask the priest that," Mister Burnberry said. "But it's bad luck, all the same."

"But the room's locked, isn't it?" Trowa asked carefully.

"Aye, and the door hidden to keep folk safe."

"So the priest has the key," Trowa said.

Mister Burnberry squinted at him suspiciously. "Nay, the key is hidden away for safekeeping, so I've heard. Why would you want to know where the key is?"

"Oh, I don't!" Trowa assured him quickly. "I was just curious. But say, on the way into town we noticed a bit of a smell."

"Oh, that." The innkeeper shrugged. "It's just the bog. When the wind is right, you can smell it from here."

"It's not close, then."

"It's a day's ride, but no one goes there. If you don't know you're way about, you can get sucked right down into the mud and disappear."

"Sounds dangerous."

"It is."

"Are there any landmarks that mark the edge of it? Being travelers, I'd sure hate for us to blunder into it by accident." Trowa winked at the others.

"Oh, you can't miss it!" Mister Burnberry laughed. "The smell alone will warn you off."

"Are there hills or anything around it?"

"A few. But you'd do well to steer clear of them. I've heard tell that ghouls live there, feasting on the flesh of them as get stuck in the bog."

"Ghouls!" Duo demanded. "Flesh-eating ghouls?"

"Is there another kind?" the innkeeper asked with a hearty chuckle. "Now, what can I get you gentlemen for supper?"

When the innkeeper had bustled off to see about their meal, Percival looked mournful.

"This seems more intractable than the ogre," Percival said.

"I think we need to ask around some more," Heero said. "We need to know more about the bog and its environs."

"I agree," said Trowa. "I don't believe this story about the ghouls."

"Says you," Duo complained. "A week ago I didn't believe in ogres either."

"I think we had better keep quiet about why we want to explore the bog," Quatre said. "From what the innkeeper said, we don't want anyone to know what we're looking for there."

"A good idea," agreed Hagrimore. "We'll have trouble enough finding what we seek, without a town full of superstitious locals trying to keep us out of the church."

The inn served thick tasty meat pies and big bowls of meat and onion stew, along with fresh-baked bread and large tankards of foaming ale.

Wu-Fei and Roku stuck to water with their meals.

Roku ate a meat pie, getting gravy everywhere. Quatre watched him in complete dismay.

"I don't think I've ever seen him that filthy!" Quatre exclaimed.

"His stripes seem to have disappeared," Trowa remarked.

"He is not sleeping with us unless he bathes," Quatre said.

"I doubt he'll mind," said Trowa. "In fact, I sometimes suspect he does it on purpose, so we'll have to bathe him."

After dinner, Quatre and Trowa took Roku to the inn's bathing room to clean him up. Since this was a quality inn, there was a boy assigned to heat the bath water and fill the tubs for guests. He seemed rather dumbfounded at being ordered to fill up a tub for a tiger cub, but he was giggling by the time Roku's bath was finished. Quatre and Trowa were almost as wet as Roku.

"You like getting me wet when you bathe, don't you Roku?" Quatre grumbled as he tumbled Roku about in a towel to dry him.

Roku growled back, trying to get his feet under him.

"Hold still, dammit!"

Trowa caught Roku under the chin and dutifully dried his face with another towel.

Roku snapped at him playfully.

"Quit it!" Trowa rapped him on the nose good-naturedly. "You know, I'm curious about something. Does the stuff in your storage place get wet when you take a bath?"

Roku stopped in mid-snap and looked thoughtful. "I don't think water can get in there."

"Well, that's good to know."

Quatre lifted an eyebrow at Trowa.

Trowa looked innocent. "I just wanted to know."

"It's bedtime!" Quatre said sternly.

"Will you tell me a story, Papa Trowa?"

"Of course."

The three of them went upstairs. As usual, the members of the quest had taken several rooms, grouping themselves as had become customary. Trowa, Quatre and Roku stayed together, as did Heero, Duo and Wu-Fei. The other knights roomed together as their finances and circumstances allowed, although it was common for Percival, Hagrimore and Damodin to share a room, unless Damodin got lucky, in which case he slept elsewhere.

In the morning, Trowa suggested they split up and tackle both problems at once.

"We need to locate the Secret Room in the church without anyone figuring out what we're after, so I suggest a small group go interview the local priest, while the rest of us go to Beardley Bog to look for the Cave of the Hermit."

"That is a sound suggestion," Percival agreed. "Which of us should approach the priest?"

"It should be people with some sense of subtlety," Quatre said, "so that let's out Heero and Duo."

The two named gentlemen regarded Quatre with sour expressions.

"I agree," said Wu-Fei, and he received similar looks.

"I suggest Sir Percival, Sir Damodin, Master Quatre and Master Trowa take the church," said Hagrimore. "Although Master Quatre's sorcerer's skills are useful in a pinch, I'm inclined to think brute force may be sufficient in tackling whatever is to be found in the bog."

The other knights nodded in agreement, although a few looked less than confident.

"Very well," Percival said. "That will be our plan."

"We'll probably be gone for a couple of days, if the bog is as far away as the innkeeper said," Heero remarked.

"Mama, may I go with Papa Duo?" Roku asked.

Quatre looked horrified.

"I want to see the bog. It smells interesting."

"But they'll be gone for days, sweetie," Quatre said, trying to sound reasonable.

"No more than three," Heero said calmly. "Four at the outside."

Quatre gave Heero a you're-not-helping look.

"He's not a baby anymore, Quatre," Trowa said. "He'll be fine."

Quatre frowned. "I'm not ready…" he mumbled.

"Please, Mama?" Roku managed to make his eyes look twice as big as normal.

Quatre put a hand over his face. "Fine! You can go with them." He fixed Heero, Duo and Wu-Fei with a stern glare. "You better take good care of him."

"He'll be safe as houses!" Duo assured him.

"Could someone else reassure me, please?" Quatre moaned plaintively.

Roku hopped into Quatre's lap and licked his face. Quatre put his arms around him.

"You listen to Papa Wu-Fei and do as you're told, ok?" Quatre said.

"Ok, Mama."

"He says that like I'd tell Roku to do something stupid," Heero complained with offended dignity.

"Don't take it personally. Separation anxiety can be brutal," Duo said sagely.

Quatre glared at him.

After breakfast, the group bound for the Cave of the Hermit bought supplies, packed up and left for Beardley Bog.

The remaining four wandered casually over to the church. They circled around it, examining the structure from the outside. The church was constructed in the typical cross style, with the steeple rising up from the crossing.

"I'm not an architect," Quatre said, "but I think this building has been expanded at least twice."

"What makes you think that?" Percival asked.

"Well, I can see two different kinds of stone used in the construction. The walls of the nave and the lower part of the steeple look much older. The edges of the stone in the transept and the sanctuary walls aren't as worn. And it looks like the inner corners of the crossing have been reinforced, perhaps to support the extension of the steeple."

"I see what you mean," Percival said. "You've a good eye."

"I wish there was a way to measure the exterior without attracting attention," Trowa said thoughtfully.

"Are you thinking the Secret Room might have been added during the expansion?" Quatre asked.

"That would have been a good time to do it."

They walked back to the entrance and entered the church. Percival and Damodin both dipped their fingers in the font and crossed themselves before continuing down the aisle. The big wooden door boomed shut behind them and a priest stepped out from the sanctuary behind the altar.

"Welcome, my sons, to the Church of Motten Bluff," the priest said. "I am Father William. How may I be of service to you?"

Father William was a middle-aged man whose fringe of hair around his balding pate had gone gray. The plumpness of age was catching up with him, but he was not yet fat. He came partway down the aisle to meet them between the pews.

"Good day to you, Father," Percival greeted him. "We find ourselves at loose ends in these parts for a few days and we were fascinated to discover a House of the Lord of such impressive dimensions in a town of this size."

Father William beamed with delight. "We are perhaps a bit too proud of our church here in Motten Bluff, but it is one of the finest you'll find in all of England."

"Have you time to tell us of its history?" Damodin asked.

"It would be my pleasure!" Father William said eagerly. He clearly loved to talk about his church and proceeded to give them a detailed history of its construction, which bore out Quatre's observations. Father William also recounted the life stories of several of his predecessors, including the unfortunate Father Valentine, who was prone to fits of madness that ultimately made him unfit to serve as parish priest. But it had been during Valentine's tenure that the height of the steeple had been increased.

"That was quite an undertaking, according to accounts from that time," Father William told them with great excitement. "They employed the very latest engineering techniques. It is said they dug new foundations for the steeple without disturbing the church walls!"

"Fascinating!" Trowa said. He and Quatre exchanged a glance.

"What compelled Father Valentine to commission such a risky expansion?" Percival asked.

"Well, that part is less clear," Father William admitted. He lowered his voice and leaned closer. "Father Valentine claimed he had a holy vision instructing him to heighten the steeple, but as his fits of madness also gave him visions, less charitable souls were prone to cast doubt, especially when the expansion became quite expensive." Father William looked unhappy. "It is these same people, I believe, who started the rumor that a Secret Room was constructed in the church at that time."

Percival, Damodin, Quatre and Trowa looked at each other in surprise.

"A Secret Room, you say?" said Percival.

"Aye, but I don't believe it," Father William replied. "I've served in this church for twelve years and have never come across anything like that."

"But why would anyone start such a rumor?" Quatre asked.

"Well…" Father William looked even more unhappy. "Many people believed Father Valentine was possessed. There is an old record of an exorcism being performed on an unknown person in the sanctuary right before Father Valentine left the parish, just after the new steeple was completed. People claim the exorcised demon was walled into a Secret Room under the church, and that it's still there."

"A walled-up room?" exclaimed Damodin. "As in a room with no doors?"

"Precisely. But you mustn't speak of this," Father William said worriedly. "The local people believe the Secret Room is cursed."

"Of course we will say nothing, Father," Percival assured him gravely. "Too often one finds local superstition carries greater weight than proven fact."

"Very true."

"You have given us a fascinating history, Father William. We are most grateful."

"You are quite welcome, my sons, but it seems I have done so much talking, I have failed to ask your names."

The four introduced themselves and Father William's face lit up at the mention of Camelot.

"Oh, good sirs!" Father William exclaimed. "Will you not share the latest news from court?"

Percival smiled broadly. "Although we have been gone from there some weeks, mayhap we know a story or two that has not yet reached these parts." He proceeded to regale the priest with tales of the latest doings in Camelot, while Quatre, Trowa and Damodin began to explore the interior of the church.

"Look at this," Trowa murmured to Quatre as they stood in the corner where the southern transept met the sanctuary. A full-sized statue of the Virgin Mary stood in a recess embedded in the corner. "Does it look to you like the recess behind this statue is rather deep?"

"Yes it does." Quatre stepped into the transept, where a stairway into the steeple started. "It seems like it extends behind the stairs."

"You're smaller; see if you can get back there."

Quatre wriggled behind the statue. "There are no openings, but there's a little niche in the wall back here, under the stairs." He slipped back out. "There's room enough for a doorway, though."

Damodin joined them. "Did you find something?"

"Possibly," Quatre replied. "Let's get out of here before the priest gets suspicious."

Percival was just wrapping up an abridged version of the story of Jean-Pierre Galvoisin de Croix Vert when the others rejoined him.

Father William was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "That must have been a sight to see!" he said.

"It was indeed," said Percival. "But here, we have taken up your whole day, Father. Thank you most kindly for your time."

"You are quite welcome, my sons. Please come again."

Outside the church, Percival scrubbed a hand over his face. "At our next stop, I will have to go to confession. That felt far too much like lying. And to a man of the cloth no less!"

"But you did well, Sir Percival," Quatre said. "We think we found the entrance to the Secret Room."

"That is good news. Perhaps it mitigates my sin a little." He did not look as if he thought so.

"I just hope the others are as fortunate," said Damodin.

"Me too," said Trowa. He put his arm around Quatre's shoulders. "What are you doing after dinner, little wizard, now that our son's gone camping with his dads?"

Quatre smiled. "I was thinking of going to bed early."

"Oh, really?" said Trowa, smiling back. "So was I."


	6. The Cave of the Hermit

I am having SO much fun writing this story! Can you tell? XD

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 6: The Cave of the Hermit

Beardley Bog reeked. Roku seemed to be the only one not nauseated by the stench.

"Do you smell that?" Roku exclaimed excitedly. "I think something's dead over there!" He stood with his big front paws just starting to sink into the mud.

"Get out of the mud, Roku," Wu-Fei said. His voice sounded muffled because of the hand he had clamped over his nose and mouth.

Roku backed up. "Look at that!" he cried. A large white bird took off from farther out in the bog and flew gracefully away.

"Don't chase it!"

"I won't."

Roku trotted along just at the edge of the trail with his ears perked up.

The trail they were following wound along the edge of the bog. It was marked by little strips of bright red cloth tied to short stakes, fluttering at the edge of the safe, firm ground. An old woman who collected herbs in the bog had told them about the trail.

"It winds all through the bog," she told them, "but the ground does shift, so you still have to be careful. I usually go out every spring and remark it, but I've only done the nearer edge so far."

She lived in a hut a short hour's walk from the bog. They'd come upon her working in her small garden in front of her hut the morning after they left Motten Bluff.

"Good day to you, Mistress!" Hagrimore greeted her.

"Good day, gentlemen." She climbed stiffly to her feet. "You're far from the road."

"Aye, Mistress. We've business in these parts."

"In the bog?" She sounded surprised. "Well, you'd best have a care. It's a dangerous place." She smiled at Roku.

"Do you know the bog, Mistress?" Wu-Fei asked.

"Quite well, Sir. It is where I make my living, gathering herbs for the apothecaries."

"Does anyone live there?"

"Heavens, no!" She laughed at the idea. "The bog can be navigated by day, but it is much too dangerous at night. The bog monsters have a taste for human flesh, but they can't bear sunlight."

"Bog monsters!" Duo asked with raised eyebrows.

"Aye. Most people call them ghouls. The place is thick with them."

"_I don't believe in ghouls_!" Duo muttered under his breath in a falsetto imitation of Trowa. "Next time he can face the monsters and I'll go to the nice safe church!" he complained aloud. "How much you wanna bet he and Quatre spent the night…"

"Shut up, Duo!" Heero interrupted him.

"…while we were trying to sleep holding our noses?" Duo concluded in an irritated grumble.

The old woman appeared amused by Duo's outburst. "So what business do you gentlemen have in the bog, if you don't mind my asking?"

"We're looking for a cave," Heero told her bluntly. "Supposedly, a hermit used to live in it."

"Oh! The Hermit's Cave. I know of it."

"Do you know where it is?" Hagrimore asked.

The old woman nodded. "Aye, I do, although I won't go near it myself. It gives me the chills."

"Can you tell us how to find it?"

"Certainly." The old woman gave them detailed directions to the Hermit's Cave and bid them farewell.

So now, carefully following the marked path and the old woman's directions, the party made their way somewhat slowly through the stench toward the Cave of the Hermit.

The trail meandered around as it inexorably took them deeper into the bog. Hummocks of land rose up in between stinking mud holes and stagnant pools of water, many of which had ominous looking bubbles slowing rising and popping on the surface. Clumps of scraggly trees and brush grew on many of the hummocks, making it impossible to see very far and cutting the travelers off from any breeze that might have wafted the smell away. Occasionally, the trail would wander up and over the top of one of these mounds.

From the top of one slightly larger mound, a larger row of stony hills dotted with good-sized trees and brush finally came into view. The trail immediately turned in a different direction when it descended from the mound.

"At this rate, we're not going to make it there and back before nightfall," one knight complained.

"Especially if we must take time to search," added another.

"Show some backbone!" Hagrimore commanded. "Armed knights have nothing to fear from a handful of ghouls."

"I'm glad he said something," Heero muttered. "I wouldn't have been so polite."

"Papa Wu-Fei, I smell something funny," Roku said abruptly. He stopped with his nose in the air and his whiskers twitching.

Everyone reined their horses to a halt.

"What does it smell like?" Wu-Fei asked.

"I don't know," Roku replied, sounding very confused.

"Dismount!" Hagrimore ordered. "I don't want anyone carried into a mud hole if the horses bolt."

Everyone dismounted, their eyes scanning the bog around them.

"We're not that far from those hills," Heero said, "and it looks like the place the old woman was describing."

"I think so, too," said Wu-Fei. "We should keep moving."

Heero and Hagrimore went first, leading their horses, followed by Duo, Wu-Fei and Roku. A few of the braver knights had companions lead their horses so they could form an unencumbered rearguard. A few more twists and turns in the trail finally brought them to where an enormous tree had fallen decades before, causing its massive root system to tear a gaping hole in the side of the hill from which it fell, exposing the yawning blackness of a deep cave.

"I think we're here," Heero said.

"Look, footprints!" Wu-Fei said.

"The weird-smelling things are in the cave," Roku said.

"Oh, great!" Duo said.

The group tethered their horses to the fallen tree and stepped over to examine the ootprints.

'They look human," one knight remarked.

"No, the toes are too long," said another.

"And look how far over the big toe is," added a third.

Roku was sniffing around the base of the fallen tree. "There are people bones over here!" he called. "They look gnawed on."

"I'm really not liking this," Duo said.

Several knights nodded and muttered in agreement.

"But the key's in the cave," Heero said, "so into the cave we go." He drew his sword and marched in.

Hagrimore grabbed a torch from the bundle on the back of his horse. Wu-Fei did the same and lit it with a quick breath of yellow flame. Hagrimore held his torch out with an expectant look and Wu-Fei lit it, too. The two of them followed Heero into the cave.

Duo shook his head mournfully. "Come along, Roku. Better you stay where we can see you, even if it is in a dark cave full of flesh-eating ghouls." He started in after the others, with Roku at his side.

Showing varying degrees of discomfort, from none to nearly trouser-wetting, the remaining knights collected torches and followed.

The floor of the cave was littered with bones, both human and animal. Some looked dismayingly fresh.

It did not smell good.

Several twists and turns quickly cut them off from the light from the cave mouth. The knights crowded forward to light their torches from the ones already burning.

"Check side passages carefully," Hagrimore instructed, "and keep an eye out behind us. I don't want to get attacked from two directions."

After several hundred meters, the cave widened into a large cavern.

"Quiet!" Heero ordered as soon as he stepped into the open space.

In the ensuing silence, the only sound to be heard was Roku's low throaty growl.

Then an explosion of guttural barking burst out all around them and the walls seemed to come alive. Every nook, cranny and shelf in the cavern was crammed with ghouls. Their bald, grayish-green skin gleamed with slime in the torchlight. Large, pale-yellow, pupil-less eyes reflected the light, above wide lipless mouths with two rows of sharp, triangular teeth. They had no noses, just slits for nostrils.

The ghouls stared at the intruders, blinking owlishly in the dim light.

And then they charged, with a roar like a hurricane.

Heero leaped forward and hacked through the torso of the nearest ghoul.

"To arms!" Hagrimore cried. He and the knights joined Heero.

The ghouls were not easy to kill. Losing limbs didn't slow them down particularly. Being beheaded or cut in half generally kept them from getting back up, but the knights still occasionally bumped into a headless ghoul that was still trying to slash with its short vicious claws.

Only Heero seemed to be having regular success when it came to hacking a ghoul in half on the first try.

Duo stood close to the cavern entrance with Roku behind him, fighting savagely to make sure none of the ghouls got close enough to attack the little tiger.

"Promise me you won't mention this part to Quatre, Roku!" Duo shouted. "He'll skin me alive!"

"Duo!" Wu-Fei shouted, "Can't you ask that knife of yours where the key is?" He hacked the head off a ghoul and split the body in half.

"What about it, Knife?" Duo said, too busy to take the knife out or elaborate the question.

_The key is in a hole in the wall on the other side of the cavern._

"It's over there somewhere stuck in the wall!" Duo knocked a ghoul down with a well-timed punch so he could point. "Heero's closest!"

"Great!" Heero grunted. He began cutting his way through the ghouls in the indicated direction. "How close am I?"

"Another three meters, it says!"

"_Kuso_! What about now?" Heero was backed up against the wall, fighting four ghouls at once.

"A little to the left!"

"_Baka yaro_…" Heero snarled. "Can you be more specific?"

"There should be a little hole just above your left shoulder."

"Would you give me a hand, Wu-Fei?" Heero called. "I can't turn my back on these things."

"Duck!" Wu-Fei shouted, and he shot a stream of fire in Heero's direction.

The ghouls scattered with startled yelps. Heero immediately stuck his hand into the hole, snatched something out and jammed it into his pocket.

"Ok!" Heero cried, "let's get out of here!"

The ghouls closed on Heero again, but not for long. He cut three down with three quick strokes and bolted for the exit.

Wu-Fei blasted another stream of fire at the ghouls and followed. A ghoul leaped after him and slashed its claws down Wu-Fei's back. Wu-Fei stumbled, but caught himself before he fell, twirled on one foot and beheaded the ghoul with a graceful sweep of his kitana.

Everyone dashed out of the cavern and through the cave, with Wu-Fei bringing up the rear, holding the ghouls off with shots of flame. But finally the ghouls stopped, barking and howling in fury, as the humans entered the comparative brightness approaching the cave mouth.

No one stopped until they were well outside the cave. Wu-Fei slumped to his knees, breathing hard.

Duo picked Roku up. "You ok, kid?"

"Yes, Papa Duo." Roku's ears were still flattened against his skull. "That was kind of scary."

"But you won't mention the details to Mama, right?"

Roku licked his cheek. "I like you better with skin."

"Thanks, sweetie."

"So what did you find, Sir Heero?" Hagrimore asked.

Heero took the object he'd found out of his pocket. It was a slender metal rod about the length of his palm with four flat, square wings sticking out at right angles near one end, leaving a short, tapered tip.

"That looks like gold!" one knight exclaimed.

"I think it is," Heero agreed. "It's pretty heavy for its size."

Everyone crowded around to get a closer look, except Wu-Fei, who was still sitting with his head hanging between his knees.

"We should get moving," Wu-Fei panted. "We need to get out of the bog before nightfall. I couldn't light a candle right now."

"Good idea." Heero pocketed the key. Then he looked at Wu-Fei with a slight frown. "Are you all right, Fei? You took quite a hit back there." He moved to Wu-Fei's side and examined the gashes ripped in Wu-Fei's shirt. "I don't see any blood."

"It doesn't hurt," Wu-Fei said. He rolled his shoulders.

"I bet it's the scales," Duo said. "The ghoul's claws couldn't penetrate them."

"Nice!" Heero said admiringly. "I knew those scales would come in handy."

"Then you grow them next time." Wu-Fei held out a hand and Heero pulled him to his feet. "Let's go."

The group mounted up and returned to the trail. Roku rode with Duo, balancing carefully on the front of Duo's saddle. Dusk found them back at the old woman's hut. She came out onto her front step, which was really just a wide, flat stone.

"It is good to see you safely back, gentlemen," she said. "I was a little concerned when the sun began to set. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"We did indeed, Mistress," Hagrimore replied. "We are grateful for your assistance in this matter."

"Well, I have to confess I felt a little guilty about telling you how to find the cave. Did you run afoul of the ghouls?"

"We did, but I'd say they are the worse for it."

She smiled. "Well, maybe it will make them less bold for a few months. I would offer you my hospitality, but you can see that my home is a little too small for all of you."

"But your thoughtfulness is appreciated, nonetheless," Hagrimore assured her. "With your permission, we'll just camp at your front door and move on in the morning."

"By all means. There's a spring just around to the side of the house there." She pointed to her left. "And I have a few extra potatoes if you care to make a stew."

"Thank you."

The knights set up camp just outside the old woman's garden fence. Her potatoes proved to be quite tasty when boiled up with a few wild herbs and some onions. They kept a watch, just in case the ghouls came looking for a little revenge, but the night passed without incident.

In the morning, they set out for Motten Bluff.

"Do you suppose Trowa and Quatre found the Secret Room?" Duo asked. Roku was riding in front of him in human form, still half-asleep.

"They better have," Heero said. "They'll have had enough time."

The group arrived back in Motten Bluff just as dusk was fading into full dark.

Quatre was quite relieved to see them back. He collected Roku from Duo and hugged the little boy close.

"How are you, Roku? Did your Papas take good care of you?"

"Yes Mama. The bog was really interesting. And look, Papa Duo braided my hair." He pulled the thick dark braid over his shoulder and displayed it proudly.

"That's very nice." Quatre frowned suspiciously at Duo. "And nothing bad happened in the bog?"

"We ran into a few ghouls," Heero said with a casual shrug. "Nothing we couldn't handle. We got what we were after."

"Ghouls!" Trowa exclaimed. "There were actual ghouls in the bog?" Several people nodded. "I wouldn't have minded seeing that."

"We can drop by later, if you like," Wu-Fei said. "We left a few."

"They eat people," Roku announced. "There were bones."

Quatre's eyes widened.

"Now, I know what you're thinking, Quatre," Duo said quickly, "but I had Roku right beside me the whole time." Then Duo went pale. "I do know what you're thinking! Try not to have such graphic thoughts quite so loud!"

Quatre smiled sweetly. "If you say nothing had happened, of course I believe you. Come Roku, you can tell me all about it over dinner." He led the way into the inn.

"I'm dead," Duo said mournfully. "You don't even want to know what he was thinking. I'm so dead."

"Don't worry about it, Duo," Trowa said. "Quatre has just been a little anxious. He'll get over it now that Roku is back and safely in his care."

Percival decided they should pay for a private dining room so they could discuss what had learned without the locals overhearing. He reported on what had transpired at the church. Then Hagrimore reported on the excursion to Beardley Bog, with an unfortunately high level of detail, from Duo's perspective.

Quatre's glare carried enough heat to rival Wu-Fei's hottest breath.

Roku, still in human form, snuggled against Quatre's side and held his hand.

"You must have been frightened, Roku," Quatre said at the conclusion of Hagrimore's report.

"I was, but Papa Duo protected me. He fights really good."

"I'm glad to head that."

"Well, it seems our next course of action is fixed," Percival said. "We have the key and we think we know the location of the Secret Room. But how are we to go about this without rousing the whole town?"

"We can't all go over there at once," said Wu-Fei. "If we slip in a few at a time over an hour or two, maybe no one will notice."

"The priest will," Damodin said.

"We'll distract him."

"Or maybe enlist him," Trowa suggested. "He didn't seem to believe the stories about Father Valentine. Perhaps his curiosity will get the better of him."

"Perhaps," Percival said gravely. "I think we should do as Master Wu-Fei suggests. But we should plan for the bulk of our activities to occur after sunset, when most people have gone home for dinner. The fewer people about, the better."

Everyone agreed to the plan. Those just returned from the bog also decided it was time for bed and a good night's rest on a proper mattress.

"As this may be my last night on Earth," Duo said to Heero and Wu-Fei, "I think I would like to spend it getting laid."

"He's not going to kill you, Duo," Heero said.

"I'll believe that when I'm not dead in the morning. Just three or four quickies, that's all I'm asking."

"Just say yes, Heero," Wu-Fei sighed, "or he'll just keep pestering us."

"Fine! Yes!" Heero growled. "But you have to stop whining."

"Thank you!" Duo cried. "And you'll think kind thoughts about me after I'm dead, won't you?"

"Oh, shut up!"


	7. The Secret Room

Chapter 7: The Secret Room

Quatre did not skin Duo in the morning, much to Duo's infinite relief. He did, however, take Duo aside briefly before breakfast.

"I will take a dim view of it if you put my child at risk like that again," Quatre said.

"He's my child, too!" Duo exclaimed. "You know I would never let anything happen to Roku!"

"Just see that you don't." Quatre favored him with a long glare before taking a seat between Roku and Trowa.

They were having porridge with honey, and Roku was already busily licking his first bowl completely clean.

"May I have more porridge, Mama?" Roku asked when Quatre sat down.

Quatre regarded him with faint dismay. "Perhaps if you licked off the porridge that is currently coating your muzzle and whiskers, you'd be full."

Roku licked Quatre's face, resulting in Quatre's face being pretty thoroughly coated with porridge, too.

"Oh, thank you!" Quatre muttered.

"I'm still hungry!" Roku insisted.

"Fine, I'll get you another bowl. And myself a fresh handkerchief." Quatre went to the sideboard with Roku's bowl, where the inn-keeping staff had laid out a fairly sumptuous buffet breakfast including, in addition to the porridge, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, ham, fresh-baked bread, creamy butter, fresh currant jam, salt-cured kippers, sausages and bread pudding with apples and raisins in it.

"May I have some bacon, too? And maybe some sausages and eggs? And I haven't tried the fishy-things yet," Roku added.

Quatre turned to stare at him.

"Please?" Roku tipped his head to one side and made big eyes.

Quatre sighed. "Very well, but if you make yourself sick, you'll get no sympathy from me."

"Maybe he's growing again," Trowa remarked.

"He certainly will, if he eats all that," Heero said. "In the tummy, anyway."

Roku grinned.

Quatre brought him another bowl of porridge, plus a plate with four strips of bacon, two sausages, a kipper and two eggs.

"Oh, goody!" Roku said gleefully, and he snapped up the bacon.

The party took their time over breakfast, making a show of talking about resuming their journey the next day.

"How many days' supply should we obtain, do you think, Sir Percival?" Hagrimore asked.

"Well, now," Percival began thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "We don't know for certain how long we'll be traveling, but this area is well-populated, so likely we will hit another town in a day or two."

"True," Hagrimore agreed, "unless our path takes us cross-country."

"Also true," said Percival. "But let's plan on four days, for even if we break across country, we should still pass a farm or other hamlet where a day or two's supplies might be had."

"Very well," Hagrimore said. "And after we shop, mayhap we will have time to stop by the church to say our prayers. It's been a while since I took confession."

"Me, too," Damodin said, and a few other knights echoed his comment.

"I wouldn't mind seeing the church myself," Wu-Fei said. "It sounds very interesting."

"Indeed it is," Trowa assured him. "The construction is quite impressive."

Their plans made, the group finished breakfast and set about the day's activities. Damodin, Duo and several knights went to the market to buy supplies. After puttering about the inn for an hour or two, Percival, Hagrimore and the other four pilots, with Roku tagging along behind, wandered over to the church.

Not surprisingly, there were a few people going about their business in the church, but Father William hurried to greet them as soon as they entered.

"Welcome back, gentlemen!" he cried cheerfully. "It is good to see you again. I had thought perhaps you'd traveled on already."

"We leave tomorrow, Father," Percival replied. "But we thought to see to the condition of our souls err we departed."

"Always a good thought, my son," Father William said. "I will be glad to give you my service, if you care to wait. There are a few others here for the same purpose and I was just about to start confession."

"We'll be glad to wait, Father."

Father William entered the confessional and the first of his parishioners entered on the other side.

"This is perfect!" Quatre said softly. "This gives us an excuse to hang about the church."

"Can we investigate this alcove you told us about without attracting attention?" Heero asked.

"I think so, as long as all the people stay out front. The altar will block their view." Quatre led the way toward the back, pausing frequently to examine stained glass windows, statuary and wall carvings along the way. Heero and Wu-Fei went with him. Trowa, Hagrimore and Percival casually drifted down the aisles and across the front of the altar until they were grouped directly in the line of sight of anyone who might come down the side aisle, blocking their view of the Virgin Mary statue in her alcove.

Quatre, Heero and Wu-Fei arrived in front of the statue.

"That's beautiful work," Wu-Fei remarked. "The detail is exquisite."

"Yes, it is. Now see if you can get behind it without anyone noticing."

Wu-Fei slipped behind the statue. "It's a tight squeeze. I don't think any of the knights will fit, even without their armor. We'll have to move the statue."

"I was afraid of that." Quatre squatted down to examine the base. "It doesn't look like it's cemented in place. I think the base is just resting on the floor."

Wu-Fei knelt down on the other side. "I think you're right. We should be able to shift it." He stood up. "It's going to make a lot of noise, though."

"I know." Quatre looked around. "Where's Roku?"

"I'm right here, Mama." Roku was sitting just in back of the altar, staring up. "You can see up into the tower from here. It has bells. But how do they ring them?"

Quatre walked over to him and looked up. "Oh, I see. Do you see the ledge there?" Roku nodded. "There're stairs in the south transept. I bet they lead up to that ledge, and the bell pulls are probably up there. Now, come over here, I need your help."

"Ok!" Roku and Quatre walked back over beside Heero.

"Go in back of the statue with Papa Wu-Fei and see if you notice anything unusual."

Roku slipped behind the statue and sniffed around the walls at the back. "I can feel air moving right here," Roku reported. He was crouched in front of the same wall in which Quatre had found the shallow niche.

"Is it blowing in or out?"

"It's going in."

Wu-Fei knelt down beside Roku and held his hand just above floor, right next to the wall. "I think I can feel it. There must be an opening in back of this wall." He ran his finger along the join with the floor and up the rear wall. "It fits pretty tight, though."

Heero leaned past the statue to take a look. "Hmm…" He looked the rear of the statue up and down, and then stepped back in front of it to continue his examination. "This will be a bear to move without damaging it. Can you levitate it Quatre, like you did the ogre cub?"

"I don't know." Quatre rapped the statue experimentally. "It's solid marble. It must weigh a ton. I might be able to get it off the floor for a few seconds, but the rest of you will have to move it."

"We can manage," Heero replied with calm confidence.

Trowa drifted back to where they were standing. "Most of the citizens have left," he said. "Percival's taking confession now. He's planning to tell Father William what we want to do during his confession."

"Has anyone else showed up yet?" Quatre asked.

"A couple of the knights are here. They came straight from the market. They said the others have gone back to the inn to pack up our things and get ready to go."

"Won't that make people suspicious?"

"Hopefully not. Apparently, Damodin has been telling people that we're planning to leave before dawn. He's going to leave the rest of the knights there and come over with Duo in a little while."

"Good. I'm anxious to get started. We don't know what we're going to run into down there."

It was getting close to sunset when Percival came into the nave with Father William, who looked very worried.

"Gentlemen!" Father William said anxiously, "I don't think it's a good idea to open the Secret Room. Even if nothing is there, the townspeople will be very upset." He stared around nervously. "And in truth, I am not completely sure I disbelieve the stories."

"All will be well, Father, I assure you!" Percival said. "We are on a quest for the Holy Grail. Such a pious endeavor can hardly bring misfortune on a House of God."

Father William still looked uncertain. "I should bolt the door so that no innocent person might happen upon this endeavor." He hurried toward the front.

"Hagrimore, go with him and make sure he let's Duo and Damodin in when they arrive," Trowa said.

Hagrimore nodded and followed the unhappy priest.

The four knights who had already arrived came into the nave.

"What ho!" said one, "how shall we go about this?"

"We're going to move this statue," Quatre said. "We're pretty sure the door is in the wall behind it."

The knights stared. "That is a very big statue."

"It won't be a problem," Quatre said with a wink at Heero,

The knights didn't look like they believed it.

Rising voices announced the arrival of Damodin and Duo. The priest was trailing after the pair, ringing his hands worriedly, while Hagrimore walked along beside him with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The four joined the rest of the group and Percival nodded grimly.

"Now then," said Percival, "it is time to begin." He looked at Quatre. "I assume you already have a plan to move the Blessed Virgin safely?"

"What!" Father William cried. "Move the Blessed Virgin!"

"She's in no danger, Father, trust me!" Quatre assured him. "Roku, get out of there for a second. Heero, you go in back with Wu-Fei. You guys push when I tell you. Duo, you and Hagrimore can pull from this side. Try to latch on to something solid. Don't grab any slender bits."

Father William looked like he was going to faint as the four men positioned themselves around the statue. Percival wisely caught his shoulder to pull him back out of the way.

"We only need to move the statue about a meter," Quatre continued, "I'll lift it off the floor, but that's not going to make it any lighter. It's still going to be hard to move."

"Just get on with it," Heero grunted.

"Do you want me to help you, Mama?"

"Yes, dear, that would be nice. We're going to lift straight up, ok? No tipping."

"Yes, Mama." Roku backed up a few paces and sat down with his tail curled neatly around his paws.

Quatre sat down next to him. "Ok, here we go." He pointed at the statue and whispered an incantation. Beside him, Roku pointed with one paw and echoed the phrase.

"Oh, Lord!" Father William whispered as the heavy statue of the Virgin Mary shifted with a scraping sound and a sifting of dust. He covered his mouth in dismay and stared with round, terrified eyes as the statue slowly rose until a faint dark line could be seen all the way around the base.

"Move!" Heero commanded, and he put his shoulder against the base of the statue and pushed. Wu-Fei pushed with him and the statue nudged forward. Duo and Hagrimore grasped the statue on either side of the Virgin's carved robe and pulled. The statue tipped slightly and Father William's horrified gasp echoed all through the nave.

"I've got it," Roku said, and he held up his other paw with the pads parallel to the statue. The statue straightened up.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as the statue slowly inched forward without leaning.

"That's it!" Heero said.

Everyone quickly stepped back so Roku and Quatre could let the statue settle back onto the floor. Father William was on the verge of tears. He scurried forward to inspect the statue, sliding worried hands over the smooth marble.

"She looks unharmed!" he breathed with relief.

Everyone else crowded around the small alcove.

"I need a torch," Heero said. He was examining the small niche in the wall.

"Here's a candle," Duo said.

Father William paled. "Not the ceremonial candles!"

"There, there, Father!" Hagrimore said. "What better than blessed candles to take into a cursed room, eh?"

Father William hung his head in his hands and moaned.

Heero took the key from his pocket. "I think I see how it goes," he murmured, and carefully inserted it into a small slot in the wall. The horizontal wings on the end of the key slid into a crossing slit. There was a very soft click. Heero glanced over his shoulder at Wu-Fei, shrugged, and slowly turned the key. There was a louder click. And then a long, slow creak, followed by a deep, scraping sound. The floor shuddered.

The group exchanged glances that varied from excited (Roku), to concerned (Percival), to worried (the knights), to horrified anguish (Father William).

Starting at the bottom, the wall in front of Heero swung slowly away from him, creating a triangular space under the stairs and revealing a dark opening in the floor below. Steps could be seen receding into inky darkness, leading to the right.

"Well, that's interesting," Heero said. He took the candlestick from Duo and started down. Wu-Fei followed. Trowa was waiting with another candlestick and went next, followed by Duo, Quatre and Roku.

Hagrimore looked at the worried faces of the knights, and Father William's pale countenance, and turned to Percival. "Why don't I stand guard up here with this lot and Father William? You and Damodin can go down with the others."

Percival nodded. Damodin fetched another candlestick and they proceeded down the stairs into the depths below the castle.

The steps were steep and the knights went slowly. When they reached the bottom, they found the five pilots standing at the bottom in a semi-circle, with Roku peeking out from behind Quatre's legs. In front of them was a large room cut from the natural stone, with nothing in it but a pedestal with a thick, leather bound book lying on it.

It was dank, damp and very, very cold.

The candlelight did not reach all the way into the farthest corners of the room, and toward one of these corners, a faint breeze blew, indicated by the swaying flames of the candles.

And from that corner a faint rustling sound could be heard.

"This isn't good," Duo said.

"Do you smell anything, Roku?" Wu-Fei asked.

"Just mold, Papa Wu-Fei. But I can see eyes in the corner."

"Eyes!" Damodin exclaimed.

"Green ones."

"Great!" Duo grumbled.

Heero lifted his candle and advanced toward the corner. "What the hell is that!"

Huddled in the corner, faintly illuminated by Heero's candle, was something that looked like a large, pasty-white slug, but no one wanted to believe that's what it was. Then it slid stickily forward and opened a wet, toothless maw. Heero backed up with a look of disgust on his face.

"That is totally gross!" Duo said. Then a look of complete shock crossed his face. "Get out of my head! That's just wrong!"

"What did you hear?" Quatre asked.

"It wants out."

"Seems reasonable," said Trowa. "I'd want out, too."

"Even if you looked like that?" Duo shuddered. "Well, I'm not touching it. You take it out."

"Fine," Trowa said. He took off his shirt and advanced on the big slug. It stopped moving and reared up in alarm.

"It thinks you're gonna hurt it," Duo reported.

"Well, tell it I won't. Tell it I'm going to take it outside."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Think at it."

"I don't think so."

"Oh, just try it."

Duo grumbled several uncomplimentary phrases under his breath, in multiple languages, and squinted at the slug. It slumped back onto the ground. Trowa approached it slowly, draped his shirt over it and carefully picked it up.

"This thing's heavy," he grunted.

"Where do you plan to take it? I don't think the villagers will appreciate having a giant slug creeping through the streets," Wu-Fei said.

"We'll just take it with us when we go and release it outside town somewhere."

"You know," said Duo, "his fondness for the lesser creatures has reached a new low."

As Trowa headed up the steep stairs with the slug in his arms, Percival approached the book on the pedestal.

"It looks like a church record," Percival said as he opened it to the first page. "See, here are recordings of marriages, baptisms, funerals and the like." He turned the pages slowly, trying hard not to damage the ancient, crumbling pages. He stopped suddenly and peered closely at a page. "What's this? It makes no sense. Master Quatre, what do you make of this?"

Quatre studied the indicated page. "It's Latin, although the spelling is a little creative." He sounded the words out to himself softly. "I think it's some kind of prophecy. Didn't Father William say Father Valentine had visions? It's not uncommon for prophets to be mistaken for madmen, or vice versa. Let's see if there are any more."

Percival continued to slowly turn the pages. They found more of the scrawled Latin phrases scattered throughout the book, tucked in between reports of special services, important births and reports on the church reconstruction.

"Oh, listen to this!" Quatre exclaimed suddenly. "It says '_The twelve virgin daughters of the stone-eyed duke guard the path to the Cup of Christ. Let he who is prepared to sacrifice all learn the secret that they hold._' That's it!"

"Well done, Master Quatre!" Percival exclaimed.

"But who is this stone-eyed duke?" asked Duo.

"I don't know," said Percival, "but I am confident we shall learn it in good time. Let us leave this dank place. I wonder if we should give this register to Father William. It contains valuable records of the church."

Quatre shook his head. "I think it would be better to leave it here. Some of those prophecies are very dark and I think people are better off not knowing them. Maybe that's why the place was said to be cursed; to keep people from reading this book." He closed it.

Everyone made their way carefully back upstairs. Heero turned the key back the other way and the wall slowly swung closed, settling into place with a final boom. He removed the key and returned it to his pocket.

"Let's get this statue back so we can get out of here," Hagrimore said as soon as everyone was out of the alcove. "People are starting to gather outside. The church door being bolted has made them suspicious." He glanced at the giant slug still wrapped in Trowa's shirt. "Although how we're going to get out of here unnoticed with that thing, I have no idea."

Father William was staring at the slug with a look of fascinated revulsion.

Quatre and Roku settled down to levitate the statue once more so Heero, Duo and Hagrimore could slide it back into place.

"Good enough," Heero said after they had shoved it back into position in the alcove. "That's more or less where it was before."

"Will that do, Father William?" asked Percival.

Father William dragged his eyes away from the slug, which was staring back at him with its lidless green eyes, to look at the statue. "Yes, yes, that's fine," he said dazedly.

"Then we're out of here," Quatre announced. He climbed to his feet looking tired and headed for the door.

Trowa picked up the giant slug and followed.

Percival took Father William's hand in both of his. "Father, we give you our deepest thanks. We have gained the knowledge we sought and now may continue on our quest. Your aid has been invaluable."

"I would say you are welcome, but I am not sure what I will tell my parishioners," Father William replied uncertainly.

"Tell them we removed the curse from the Secret Room through prayer and personal sacrifice," said Wu-Fei. "For proof, you can point to that little beastie," he pointed at the slug, "and tell them it's the embodiment of the evil, and that we're taking it away to destroy it in a ceremony of purification."

"Whoa! That was good!" Duo exclaimed. "Did you just come up with that on the spur of the moment?"

Wu-Fei smiled faintly. "I admit it just now came into my mind."

"I'm impressed."

"Thanks."

There was a good-sized crowd gathered in the fading light outside the church door.

"I don't want anyone harmed," Percival said worriedly. "How are we going to get past them?" He was peeking at the crowd through a small transom in the door.

"Let me look," Hagrimore said. He looked out through the transom. "Here come the others just now. They look to have all the horses." Hagrimore stepped back from the door. "I think pure bravado should do. Draw your swords. We'll just bully our way through."

And that is just what they did. The townspeople opened a path for them, because no one really wanted to stand up to an armed knight, and the group made their way safely to their waiting horses. Once mounted, they wasted no time in making a hasty departure, particularly since Trowa's slime-oozing slug was starting to attract quite a lot of attention.

They did not stop until they were well outside town and the smell of Beardley Bog was starting to fade from their nostrils.

"Trowa, I think that thing wants down," Duo said.

They halted and Trowa hopped from the back of his horse. He carried the slug well off the road into the trees before setting it down and un-sticking his shirt from its skin. The slug looked up at him with eyes that glowed noticeably in the dark and Trowa stiffened in surprise.

"It talked to me!" Trowa exclaimed.

"I didn't hear anything," Duo said.

Trowa turned to him in astonishment. "It said, because I have done it this favor, that it is giving me the gift of speech. It says from now own, I can converse with any living creature."

"No shit?"

Trowa turned back to the slug and bowed. "Thank you."

The slug inclined its head for a moment and then slowly slithered away.

"This is starting to turn into a real interesting trip," Duo remarked. "At this rate, none of us is going to be normal by the time we get back."

"You were never normal, Duo," Heero commented.

"Hey!"


	8. The StoneEyed Duke

**Dear Readers**: I just want to mention that Damodin will be singing another song in this chapter, and I want to point out that I wrote both this song and the one he sang in Chapter 1. I like Damodin's songs, and I may try to squeeze one more in before the end of the story, but no promises. I kind of need inspiration for these, but poetry is yet another hobby of mine, so we'll see.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 8: The Stone-Eyed Duke

The group stopped for the night after they had put a comfortable distance between themselves and Motten Bluff, although it didn't look like anyone was coming after them.

Several of the knights seemed rather troubled by something as they ate their supper, and finally one of them, Sir Mauldin, spoke up.

"Master Duo, how is it that you seemed to be aware of that… creature's thoughts?"

"It was a little difficult, I admit," Duo answered without looking up from his own supper. "It's English was really archaic."

"It was speaking?" Sir Mauldin exclaimed. "I heard naught."

"No, it was just thinking."

Sir Mauldin and a couple of the knights exchanged glances.

"Are you then capable of hearing the thoughts of others, Master Duo?"

Duo didn't seem to hear the note of concern in Sir Mauldin's voice.

"Kind of," Duo said absently.

Quatre gave Heero, seated next to Duo, a warning glance and Heero nudged Duo.

"What?" Duo looked up, still chewing.

Heero just frowned and shook his head.

Duo stared at him in confusion for a second and then looked at Sir Mauldin. Sir Mauldin and three or four other knights were regarding him with looks of distinct displeasure.

"It's not like I'm trying to listen!" Duo exclaimed defensively. "If you all wouldn't think so damn loud, I wouldn't hear anything at all."

Sir Mauldin looked decidedly upset. "You can hear what I'm thinking!"

Duo winced. "Man, if you're gonna shout like that, everyone's gonna hear you!" Duo rubbed his head.

"How long have you had this ability, Master Duo?" Percival asked curiously.

"A couple of weeks, I guess," Duo shrugged. "It's been getting worse lately."

"What might have brought on this skill, do you suppose?"

"Well…" Duo looked sheepish. "The truth is, every time I talked to my damn knife, or rather when it talked to me, I noticed afterward that I could hear people thinking. The first few times it happened, the effect faded after awhile. But lately, it doesn't seem to be going away."

Wu-Fei leaned forward. "Do you suppose that's the curse that Gift told us about, that would happen from using the knife's power?"

Duo nodded. "Yeah. The knife uses telepathy to communicate and it's sensitizing me."

"That's fascinating!" Wu-Fei said.

"Maybe for you!" Duo complained. "You have no idea what goes on inside other people's heads! I sure didn't want to know."

"This is most unseemly!" Sir Mauldin exclaimed peevishly. "A gentleman's mind should be inviolate. I find this intrusion most disturbing!"

"Trust me," said Duo, "it disturbs me, too."

"Now, Sir Mauldin," Percival said, "I am certain Master Duo is too much the gentleman to reveal knowledge he comes by through unspoken communication."

Heero coughed.

"I am sure you have no reason to be unduly concerned," Percival continued.

Sir Mauldin did not appear convinced and neither did some of the others. After supper, a few of the knights drew off to one side and conversed quietly.

"That lot definitely looks unhappy," Trowa remarked.

"Yup," Quatre agreed. "I wonder what they've been thinking that they don't want Duo repeating it."

"Probably the part about soiling his trousers when we were fighting the ghouls," Duo remarked casually. "But then, I'm sure Roku smelled it, so I could have learned it from him."

"It was hard to tell which one though," Roku said. "I think a couple of them did it."

Heero snorted. "He shit his pants? Over a couple of ghouls?" He shook his head in disgust.

"I was scared, too," Roku said.

"Yeah, but you didn't crap all over yourself."

Hagrimore laughed. "But we all know our little tiger is braver than some of our fine companions." He patted Roku on the head. "But now then, how shall we proceed? You read something about virgins and a duke?"

"Yes," Quatre said. "_The twelve virgin daughters of the stone-eyed duke guard the path to the Cup of Christ. Let he who is prepared to sacrifice all learn the secret that they hold._"

"The stone-eyed duke?" Hagrimore repeated, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That sounds familiar, somehow. Let me think on it a moment."

"Twelve virgin daughters," Damodin murmured. "How do you suppose he managed that? I don't know many gentlemen who have managed to keep two daughters virgin."

"I don't know how a gentleman of your acquaintance manages to keep ANY daughters virgin, Damodin!" someone called out, to a chorus of rude laughter.

Damodin flushed.

"Ha!" Hagrimore burst out. "I've hit on it! There's a blind duke living near Hammersly and it's said his eyes are stone white. I don't recall if he's reputed to have daughters, but it will do no harm to drop by and have a look."

"Hammersly!" Wu-Fei and Duo cried out in unison. "Where that bloody dragon lives!"

"The very place," Hagrimore said.

Wu-Fei and Duo grumbled several unflattering remarks about dragons under their breath.

In the morning, the group set their course for Hammersly. Trowa entertained himself on the way by conversing with the various beasts and birds they passed along the way. When they passed a row of cows hanging their heads over a fence at the side of the road, he stopped.

"How now brown cow?" he said.

The cows all looked at him. One made a lowing noise.

"I think you'll have to take that up with the farmer," Trowa said. "I've never milked a cow in my life."

This time all the cows lowed.

"I'm afraid I can't help you. Maybe you should go back to the barn."

The cows turned away and walked off with their tails swishing.

"They wanted to be milked?" Quatre asked.

"Yes, but they were hoping to get someone other than the farmer to do it. Apparently, he has cold hands."

Trowa's horse tossed her head up and down and huffed through her nose. Trowa laughed.

"What did she say?"

"That cows are stupid lumbering brutes."

"I'd have to agree with that."

"But they're pretty good eating," Duo added with a grin. "Although, horse meat has a certain appeal when prepared the right way."

"I'm not going to repeat that," Trowa said, "or they'll all disappear on us tonight."

Wu-Fei turned slightly green. "You've eaten horse meat?"

"Only a couple of times."

"I may be sick."

"Fei, you should know better than to ask Duo what he's been eating," Heero said.

"I know. Let's change the subject."

"I say, Damodin, why don't you favor us with a song?" said Hagrimore. "A nice airy tune will help pass the time."

"All right." Damodin tilted his head back and began to sing:

_In a meadow sat the handsome lad with hair as yellow as the sun.  
__Around him purple lupine bloomed, with golden rod and poppies red.  
__And here and there and all about, did fat white sheep contently graze._

_Upon this scene of rural charm, a brave and handsome knight did come.  
__Idyllic beauty caught him up and toward the lad his steps were led.  
__And nothing else at all he saw while handsome youth consumed his gaze._

"_Oh fair-haired lad," the knight declared, "how came thee by such beauty rare?"  
_"_Oh Sir!" the lad demurely spoke, "thy kind words set my heart aflame.  
__Most sweetly do thine eyes behold and cause to stir my youthful loins."_

"_Sweet lad!" the knight bespoke himself, "to thee I must my love declare!  
Thy gentle speech doth warm my heart and stirs my manhood all the same.  
__In sooth my soul shall know no peace until my love with you conjoins."_

_Upon his back the young man fell, stretched prone among the sweet green grass.  
__Beside him lay the handsome knight, who kissed him on his soft young lips,  
__And held him close with sweet caress and stroked the dear youth's firm fair skin._

"_Beautiful youth, thy tender kiss doth rival that of any lass.  
__Thy youthful charms command me so, I urge thee to spread wide thy hips  
__And give to me the deep-felt joy of thrusting my firm manhood in."_

_The gracious lad, in heartfelt love, did open wide his virgin charms.  
__With moans of joy and tender cries, he felt the knight's true love go deep.  
__And savored he those driving thrusts that filled his flesh with pleasure great._

_O'er and again did handsome knight fulfill the youth within his arms.  
__Until the spurt of ecstasy did bring the handsome lad to weep.  
__And handsome knight did hold him close until his own joy did abate._

_So lay they there in happy bliss while flowers all about them waved,  
__And gentle breeze upon bare skin blew air warmed by the golden sun.  
_"_Oh kindly sir," the youth did say, "thy gentle love hath filled my heart."_

"_Oh darling lad," the knight replied, "though some might find our love depraved,  
__I say they know not what they speak and I shall prove it ere I'm done.  
__For I shall love thee yet again and day shall go ere I depart."_

"Now that's my kind of song," Trowa declared.

"You always were partial to handsome blonds," said Duo.

"Oh, yeah!" Trowa winked at Quatre and Quatre smiled.

For three days and nights the company traveled on the King's High Road to Hammersly. On the first night, they stayed at a comfortable inn, and at Quatre's suggestion, Roku bunked in with Heero, Wu-Fei and Duo.

"This ain't fair!" Duo complained. "How come we get stuck with the kid and they get to have fun?"

"Because it's our turn," Wu-Fei replied sagely. "And it's important for Roku's Mama and Papa to have opportunities to share their affections."

"That's right," Roku agreed.

Duo grumbled. "Well, why don't you and Roku go to bed and Heero and I will stay up drinking."

"Who says I want to go drinking with you?" Heero demanded.

Duo pouted. "Aww…"

"Oh, geez!"

"Come on, Roku, let's go read."

"Ok!"

"Maybe we can have another drinking contest!" Duo suggested brightly.

Hagrimore groaned. "Not me, Master Duo! I still get dizzy when I think of that night."

"Oh, come on! You almost had me!"

"I think not."

"Damn!"

Duo did drink more than anyone else, but he still had the energy to suggest he and Heero go for a quick walk in the moonlight before bed.

"The moon's not out."

"The starlight then. Let's just go outside, dammit!"

"You're really trying, aren't you?"

"It's been two whole days! Stressful days!"

"I give up. Let's go."

"Goody!"

And so it went, until the group arrived in Hammersly. The innkeeper, surprisingly enough, remembered them.

"You aren't going to see the dragon again are you? Because if so, I want my money right now."

"Hey!" said Duo. "The dragon didn't eat us last time."

"Perhaps not," said the innkeeper, "but I'm going with the better odds."

"Wretch."

"We are not here for the dragon, my good man," Percival said. "We have come to call upon the duke."

"Ah, well, in that case, you can pay half now and half when you leave."

"How generous!" Duo grumbled.

"I say," asked Damodin, "is it true the good duke has twelve daughters?"

"Indeed it is," said the innkeeper, "and all by the same wife, no less. It's no wonder she passed away after the last pair."

"Wore her out, eh?" Hagrimore said. "My wife wouldn't let me near her after our fourth."

"I'm surprised she let you near her before the first," Damodin remarked.

"Ho, there, young lecher, not all of us can have your fair looks."

"It's a burden, but I make do."

"More like make out," Duo whispered loudly to Wu-Fei.

"You are not one to talk, Mister It's-been-two-whole-days."

"That's a long time."

Wu-Fei sighed.

"It's a bit too late to call upon the duke," said Percival, "so I propose we approach him tomorrow morning."

Everyone agreed to that, and they settled in for a comfortable dinner of beef stew and fresh baked bread.

But over dinner, the still disgruntled Sir Mauldin announced that he had decided to return to Camelot, since they were but a few days travel from there. After some discussion, four other knights elected to do the same.

So in the morning, the party split again, as five knights set out for Camelot, and the remainder of the group headed toward the castle of the Duke of Hammersly.

The castle was a fine, old edifice with vines growing all over it. The benefit of this was that it hid the crumbling effects of vines eating through the mortar. It was a four sided structure with towers at each corner and a wide gate with an iron portcullis. The moat, like the moat at Camelot, did not see regular maintenance. It smelled. Badly.

Wu-Fei held his nose. "Why is it that everyone has to shit in the moat, if there is a moat?"

"Convenience?" Heero suggested.

"I may never be able to relieve myself again," Wu-Fei muttered.

"Just don't breathe any fire, Fei, or the whole place may go up," Duo warned.

The drawbridge was down but so was the portcullis. They stopped on the far side of the moat.

"Hallo the castle!" Hagrimore called. "May a group of travelers engage a little hospitality?"

A head appeared above the gate. "What purpose brings you to these parts, good sirs? My master will want to know."

"Indeed, we desire to speak with your master, if we may," Percival said. "I am Sir Percival of King Arthur's Round Table."

"One moment, Sir Percival! I will raise the portcullis!" The head disappeared, and a moment later the portcullis began to winch up with a horrible screeching sound that made Roku's ears go flat.

When there was enough room, the party rode across the drawbridge and into the castle. A gentleman of middle years, but starting to go a bit gray, was coming out of the main castle entrance guided by a young page. Even from a distance, one could see that his eyes were completely white.

"Welcome, gentlemen, to Hammersly Castle," the blind man said. "I am Augustus Moreby, Duke of Hammersly."

Percival dismounted and shook the duke's hand. "Well met, Your Grace. I am Sir Percival."

"What brings you to my home today, Sir Percival?"

"Well, it is something of a long story, Your Grace. Perhaps we could discuss it over a cup of wine?"

"Very well." Guided by his page, Duke Moreby led them into his castle. In his musty and rather drafty main hall, they took seats around a large table. Servants brought wine. "Well, Sir Percival, tell me your story, if you will."

Percival proceeded to provide a brief summary of their quest, to which the duke listened with great interest. But when it came to the part regarding the prophecy of his twelve daughters, he held up a hand.

"Stop right there, Sir Percival," Duke Moreby exclaimed. "My daughters are maidens of the most pious purity. I cannot allow a man into their presence, lest they become corrupted by his baseness, for indeed, all men are base creatures."

"Whoa, do you think he's met us before?" Duo whispered.

"Maybe you," Heero muttered.

"My dear Duke Moreby," said Percival, "we would never dream of violating the saintly chastity of your daughters. Perhaps you would permit one of our number to speak to them from a gentlemanly distance. It is only their knowledge we seek."

"I will have to think on that, Sir Percival," Duke Moreby said nervously. "You have no idea of the difficulty of protecting the virtue of twelve maidens."

"Of course, Your Grace."

"However, I wish to remain a gracious host, so you may stay here while I ponder this question." The duke rose and left the room.

"Say Duo," Quatre said, "why don't you try reading those girls minds from here? If you can pick out the information we need, we won't need to talk to them."

Duo stared at him in horror. "Oh, no! You have no idea what a terrifying place the female mind is. I am NOT going in there."

Quatre frowned. "You forget; I was a woman once."

"Maybe so, but you still didn't think like one."

"That's true, Quatre," Heero said, "you did let Duo knock you up."

"Just Duo?" Quatre remarked dryly.

"Anyway, I'm not gonna do it." Duo's eyes lost focus for a second. "And I can't pick them out from here anyway. There are a ton of people in this castle and every last one of them couldn't keep a thought inside their heads if their lives depended on it."

"Then we're going to have to find a way to talk to them, whether the duke wants us to or not."

"That must be why the prophecy said one man would have to risk everything."

"No doubt."

"Well," said Hagrimore, "let's cross that bridge if it comes to that. For now, let's wait and see what the duke says. His wine's mighty tasty."

"It isn't bad," Trowa agreed.

Unfortunately, the duke was gone for so long, the knights and pilots had time to get, well, a little bit drunk. Well, ok, they drank themselves under the table and passed out, except for Roku, who amused himself by chasing every dog, cat and chicken out of the main hall, and Duo, who was left to just amuse himself.


	9. The Twelve Daughters

Chapter 9: The Twelve Daughters

"Man!" Duo complained. "These guys gotta learn how to drink. I'm bored."

"I'm hungry," said Roku.

"Good idea." Duo beckoned to a passing servant. "Hey! Have you got anything to eat?"

"Of course, sir," the young woman said and she hurried out.

A short while later, she returned with sliced ham, bread, cheese, some apples and two meat pies.

"Ah!" Duo said, rubbing his hands together. "Just a light snack to tide us over until lunch."

"Yum!" Roku declared.

They split the food.

"Mama doesn't usually pass out from drinking," Roku remarked.

"I think Mama is still tired from last night," Duo said.

"Mama and Papa Trowa were very naughty."

"Well, sometimes a fellow just needs that."

"Is that why you and Papa Heero took so long to come to bed last night?"

"We don't need to talk about that."

"Ok."

After their snack, Roku noticed that a couple of the dogs were poking their noses back into the main hall. He growled softly.

"Excuse me, Papa Duo," Roku said. He slid off the bench and slunk away toward the uncertain dogs.

When the explosion of roaring, yelping, thundering paws, screeching of claws and toenails on stone floors, the crash of dishes being dropped and squealing servants failed to wake anyone, Duo gave up. He found a relatively clean and empty spot on the floor and went to sleep.

He woke up to the soft voices of young women talking quietly.

"Have you ever seen such beautiful hair on a man before?"

"Never, it's utterly gorgeous!"

"I want to touch it."

"Careful, you'll wake him."

"You already woke me," Duo grumbled. He opened one eye.

Four beautiful maidens stood looking down at him.

"Oh, sir!" one said in a soft reverent voice, "won't you let me brush your lovely hair?"

"Oh yes!" added a second. "It has become mussed. We can re-plait it for you."

Their eyes gleamed hungrily.

Duo sat up and pulled his braid over his shoulder. The braid had become a little frayed. He frowned suspiciously at the maidens.

"Are you some of Duke Moreby's daughters?"

"Indeed we are," said one, who appeared to be the eldest.

"I thought your father didn't allow you around men?"

The four young women smiled.

"He does not, if he's aware of it. But our good father is blind, so upon occasion we venture out unbeknownst to him." At Duo's raised eyebrow, she blushed. "Think not that we are wantons, sir!" she exclaimed. "It is only curiosity that we indulge." She looked around. "But forsooth, we should not stay here among so many gentlemen. Will you not accompany us back to our chamber and let us do your hair?"

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

"But we must be fair to our sisters, who were too shy to venture forth with us and thus will have missed the opportunity to view your beauty, if you do not return with us." She blinked at him with large, dark eyes. "Oh, will you not have pity on them, sir?"

"Well, I suppose it can't do any harm." Duo stood up. "I was hoping for a chance to speak with you anyway."

"Even so. We can speak while we do your hair."

The four young woman guided Duo upstairs and into their private apartment. It was, not surprisingly, a good-sized apartment, occupying one whole floor of one side of the castle. When Duo entered with his four escorts, there was a flurry of girlish squeals.

"Eugenia!" cried one, "that's a man!"

"Of course he is," Eugenia, the eldest, replied. "But look at his hair!"

This stopped all the squealing and attempts to hide cold. Almost as one, the other eight daughters crowded forward with exclamations of amazement and delight. Then they caught Duo's hands and pulled him forward.

"Sit here, sir!" they cried and pushed him down onto a pile of soft cushions.

They crowded around him. Eugenia untied the ribbon at the tip of his braid and unbraided his hair, while dozens of other hands reached in to stroke and caress the long, smooth waves as she freed them.

"It's so soft!"

"It's longer than mine!"

"I wish my hair were this thick."

"We should wash it!"

"Yes, let's do! Fetch warm water, soap and oil!"

"Take off your shirt, sir, so it does not get wet!"

"Aye, the silk will stain."

"Hold on there!" Duo cried, but it did little good. Twelve pairs of hands stripped him out of his shirt in no time at all.

"Oh, my! Look at how muscular he is!"

"His skin is so smooth!"

"I had no idea men were so handsome!"

"Now ladies…" Duo tried again.

"Lie back, sir, and let us wash your hair."

They propped him up with several pillows so that his head was hanging over empty space and they could pile his hair into a large basin. Duo was fairly certain that getting his hair washed did not require quite so much caressing of his chest and arms, but it was pretty hard to supervise the hands of twelve maidens at the same time.

"Ladies," Duo said, "what do you know about the Holy Grail?"

"We attend church regularly, sir, so we know of the Holy Grail," Eugenia assured him.

"Would you by any chance know where it is?"

They all laughed.

"No one knows that, sir," Eugenia said.

"My companions and I are on a quest for the Holy Grail," Duo said. "We've come across information that indicated you fair maidens might know something about it."

"Us!" one of the youngest daughters squealed. She giggled. "How could we? We are hardly ever allowed out."

"That's right," said another.

The daughter rinsing his hair managed to pour half of the water down his face and chest. As Duo gasped, the other daughters giggled and began wiping the water off with their bare hands.

"That's ok!" Duo exclaimed, "I can do that!" He tried to catch the hands that were sweeping pooled water off his lower belly.

"Oh no!" one daughter cried. "Your pants are wet. We should remove them."

"Absolutely not!" Duo cried.

The resulting struggle was a little comical, but Duo was not amused.

"Let me remove your boots!"

"Leave my boots alone!"

"His stockings are caught in his trousers."

"Take those off, too."

"What pretty feet!"

"His underwear is silk lace!"

"How beautiful!"

"How revealing!"

"So that is what a man looks like!"

"Stop that!" Duo attempted to cover his nether regions, which were, admittedly, not particularly well hidden by his lacy underwear.

"Where did you find such a beautiful undergarment, sir?"

"See how nicely it fits his buttocks."

"Wait a minute!" Duo tried to cover his butt and his privates at the same time. "This is most unseemly!"

"The silk is so smooth," one daughter noted as she slid her hand along Duo's hip.

"Keep your hands to yourself, woman!"

"I imagine such a garment must feel wonderful against the skin."

"It does, and I'll keep it on mine, thank you very much!"

"I want to try them!"

"So do I!"

"Me too!"

"STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" Duo shouted, to no avail. Twelve pairs of hands divested him of his underwear in nothing flat. Duo tried to cover himself with his hair. "Give that back!"

But for the moment, he was being ignored. Really ignored, as the young ladies began hiking up their skirts so they could try his underwear on and model them for their sisters. Duo got a hefty eyeful.

Eugenia and two of her sisters turned to Duo.

"So tell me, sir, are all gentlemen as handsome as you?" Eugenia asked with a coy smile.

"No, but you're seeing a damn sight more of me than a proper young maiden should."

She looked him up and down. "The sight is most… stimulating."

Duo paled. "No it's not!"

"But a man as lovely as you must be proud of his appearance. Why don't you lie back and let us appreciate your beauty?"

"I don't think so!"

Eugenia pushed him over into the cushions and her sisters caught his arms.

"Miss Eugenia!" Duo exclaimed, "I don't want to have to hurt you, but you really need to stop right there!"

Eugenia straddled his hips.

Duo gasped. "Ok, this is really starting to go too far…"

She began to rub her bottom back and forth on his privates.

Duo groaned and closed his eyes. "This is not good…"

"Oh my!" one sister exclaimed. "Look at that! What's happening to him?"

"It's just as Gift described!" said another.

Duo's eyes flew open. "Gift! Did you say Gift!"

"Yes," said the daughter. "Do you know our dragon?"

"Yes, I know that bloody dragon!" Duo groaned again. "Miss Eugenia, I really think you need to stop doing that."

"As you say," Eugenia said breathlessly. She stopped and lifted up onto her knees. Then she sat back down and Duo gasped aloud.

"Oh, lord!" Duo moaned. "I'm going to hell for this…"

"Oh, sisters!" Eugenia gasped. "You have to try this! Gift was right. This is most enjoyable!"

Duo closed his eyes with a groan. "There are twelve of them…"

Sometime later, in the main hall, Wu-Fei sat up with a start. He looked around in confusion and then nudged Heero awake.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Heero rubbed his eyes blearily.

"I thought I heard someone shout something about a dragon."

"I heard it, too," said Damodin, sitting up from where he lay with his head on Hagrimore's stomach.

"So did I," said Quatre. He looked around. "Where's Duo?"

"He went upstairs with the pretty ladies," said Roku.

"What! When?"

"About midday."

"It's getting dark," Quatre noted.

Roku nodded. "He's been gone for awhile."

"That was him," Trowa said suddenly.

"What was him?" asked Quatre.

"What we heard, it was Duo. He was broadcasting." Trowa glanced toward the ceiling. "Something pretty traumatic must have happened to him."

"_Let he who is prepared to sacrifice all learn the secret that they hold,_" Quatre quoted. "Duo's learning the next trial in the quest."

"Papa Duo's being naughty. A lot."

Everyone who was awake stared at Roku.

"Twelve maidens!" Damodin whispered, awestruck. "That's far beyond my capacity."

"I don't think Duke Moreby will be happy about this," Hagrimore said. "Mayhap we should wake our companions and be prepared to make a hasty departure when Master Duo is finished."

"Good idea," said Trowa. "I'll just go out and have a chat with the horses."

Percival was decidedly dismayed when he learned what was taking place. "This is a most unfortunate turn of events!" he exclaimed. "We came under Duke Moreby's roof in good faith, and now…"

"It's not your fault, Sir Percival," Quatre assured him. "I'm sure Duo has a good reason for deflowering the duke's daughters."

Percival hung his head. "Oh, dear lord!"

Duke Moreby chose that moment to make his reappearance. "Gentlemen," he said, "I have thought long and hard upon your request, but I fear I cannot accede to it. But I do not wish to seem an inhospitable host. You must all stay for dinner."

"You are most kind, Your Grace," Percival replied in a voice that squeaked unexpectedly, "but we do not wish to be a burden on your household. We have already partaken of your most excellent wine, so we will just be on our way…"

"It's that bloody dragon!" Duo announced as he staggered into the room. His clothes were in disarray and his hair hung loose about his shoulders. "They were all thinking it. That wretched beast told them that the good Lord kept no secrets from his chosen children."

"And Gift told us that dragons were God's gift to the world," Wu-Fei concluded. "Gift is the next trial in the quest."

"What are you gentlemen talking about?" Duke Moreby asked in confusion.

"It is nothing, sir!" Percival said quickly. "Let us not trouble you any further. Good day, Your Grace." He beat a hasty retreat for the door.

The knights and pilots followed quickly, with Wu-Fei and Heero supporting Duo between them.

"I may never have sex again!" Duo groaned. "They were animals, I tell you! Once wasn't good enough for them. Oh, no! Everyone had to have TWO turns. I can barely walk."

"He says that now," Heero remarked, "but how much you want to bet he's complaining about not getting any three days from now?"

"That's a sucker bet," Wu-Fei replied.

"I'm not kidding!" Duo complained. "I got nothin' left. Just empty sacks."

"Twenty-four times!" Damodin exclaimed reverently. "Now there is a standard to which I can only aspire."

"I would not have believed it possible," Hagrimore agreed.

"Well, the prophecy did say he would have to sacrifice all," Quatre noted.

"And what a sacrifice!"

"Can we stop talking about this?" Duo grumbled. He had to be helped onto his horse.

The party thundered out through the gate and headed back for the inn at Hammersly.

"Do you suppose the dragon is still living in the same cave?" Wu-Fei asked.

"I imagine so," said Hagrimore. "We can head out that way tomorrow and have a look."

"This is his fault!" Duo exclaimed. "That damn dragon is the one who told the girls about sex. It seems he likes to sit outside their window at night and tell them stories. He owes me! Bloody dragon!"

"Quit complaining, Duo. Lots of men would be happy to suffer your fate," Trowa said.

"Aye, your friend is right, Master Duo," Damodin agreed. "The virgin daughters of Duke Moreby are legendary. Your conquest will go down in the annals of history as one of the truly great acts of this age."

Duo gave him a sour look. "It's going to take me hours to get all the tangles out of my hair," he said mournfully.

"I'll help you, Papa Duo."

"Thanks, Roku."

"I have a feeling this next trial is not going to be so easy," Wu-Fei said.

"You call that easy?" Duo grumbled.

"Gift is not likely to just tell us what we want to know. We may have to fight him."

"Fight a dragon!" exclaimed one of the knights. "That seems somewhat foolhardy."

"I did it before," Wu-Fei said. "It shouldn't be that bad."

"You said he was just playing last time, Wu-Fei," Duo pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but why should this time be any different?"

"Maybe because he knows us and because I intend to kick his golden dragon butt from here to the Dover Strait."

"Maybe Trowa and I should talk to Gift first," Quatre said. "You two seem to have issues that might interfere with reasoned discourse."

Duo snorted.

"I must agree with Master Quatre," said Percival. "We shall all proceed to the dragon's lair tomorrow, but perhaps just a few of us should actually approach the dragon."

The other knights agreed with this rather quickly and Heero rolled his eyes. "I'll accompany you, Sir Percival."

"As I expected, Sir Heero."

"Fucking dragon!" Duo muttered.


	10. Phuketanapitispoor Manakawatra, aka Gift

Ok, I confess to a certain amount of poetic license in the last chapter with the laws of physical reality in regard to human male anatomy. I know no human male is capable of twenty-four consecutive acts of intercourse in a single afternoon. But, being a middle-aged woman approaching "that time of life", I can dream, can't I?

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 10: Phuketanapitispoor Manakawatra, aka Gift

The dragon's cave looked pretty much as it had when Duo and Wu-Fei first saw it, except that the dragon himself was curled up in the sun in the clearing in front of the cave with his spiked golden tail resting across his snout. Several of the knights halted nervously on the bluff overlooking the clearing.

Heero rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Those of us who are proceeding should continue on foot," Percival said and he dismounted. "The rest of you may hold the horses."

Everyone dismounted and Percival, Hagrimore, Damodin, the five pilots and Roku marched down the bluff toward the dragon.

Gift opened one jet black eye as they approached and Damodin faltered to a stop some two dozen paces away.

"This seems an adequate distance," Damodin said. He didn't look terribly happy to be that close.

"Aye, seems about right to me as well," Hagrimore agreed. He also didn't look particularly happy as he stopped beside Damodin.

Heero just snorted as the rest of them walked right up to the no-longer-sleeping dragon and stopped no more than ten paces away from his scaly green nose.

Gift lifted his head and yawned hugely, displaying several impressive rows of sharp white teeth. His long red tongue flicked out between his long curved fangs. Then he sat up on his elbows and crossed his forelegs.

"What's anon?" rumbled Gift.

Wu-Fei stepped forward. "Do you remember me, noble Gift? I am Chang Wu-Fei."

"Yes, I recall thee," Gift replied. "We engaged in a bit of love-play last fall." He looked at Duo. "I recall thy companion as well. But these others are new to me." Gift grinned. "Hast thou come to amuse me? For I have not picked my teeth with a sturdy knight these two moons past."

Damodin and Hagrimore paled. Percival lifted his chin defiantly.

"We didn't come to fight, Gift. We came to ask you a question."

"A question?" Gift rubbed his chin with one clawed hand. "In sooth, I must hear thy question ere I can say if I will answer it or not."

"Very well." Wu-Fei beckoned to Percival and Percival took a half step forward.

"Noble Gift," Percival said with a slight bow, "I am Sir Percival of the Knights of King Arthur's Round Table. My companions and I are engaged in a quest for the Holy Grail. This quest has taken us through many trials, where successful completion of each trial points us to the next. Upon completion of our last trial, we learned that knowledge of the next trial might be had from you, and we have come to ask if you can direct us on to the next stage of our quest."

Gift chuckled. "Which lucky gentleman was he who vanquished Duke Moreby's maidens?"

"It was me and I don't call it lucky!" Duo growled. "What did you go and tell those girls about sex for? I'm still sore."

"I am a little curious about that," Quatre spoke up for the first time. "I thought dragon's preferred maidens. Encouraging them to have sex seems to go against that preference."

Gift chuckled again. "We dragons only tell folk that; we are not so picky as unicorns. But now then, I must tell thee that I cannot answer thy question so simply. Thou must earn the knowledge." Gift reared up and flared his great golden wings. "Methinks thou must fight, so choose thee one of thy number to engage me, and shouldst thou win, I shall tell thee what thou wouldst hear."

Heero frowned. "If we win, you'll be dead. How can you tell us anything then?"

Smoke curled up out of Gift's nostrils. "That poses a problem, in sooth. If thou dost answer that riddle, thou wilt have answered half thy question." Gift huffed a thin jet of fire in Heero's direction. "Shalt thou be first?"

"Absolutely!" Heero drew his sword and charged at Gift. Everyone else scattered to the edges of the clearing to give the combatants room.

It quickly became obvious that Heero was trying to maim the dragon without killing him, but this limitation was severely hampering his effectiveness. After a fight that lasted over an hour and left Gift and Heero both with numerous bloody gashes, and Heero with a few singed spots as well, the two backed off to take a rest.

"Thou art as pleasant a fighter as thy companion, Sir Knight," Gift said with a smoky wheeze. "How art thou called?"

"Heero Yuy."

"Thy name suits thee well, Sir Heero: compact and efficient, as thou art." Gift flopped down on his belly. "If thou wilt, I shall avow I have not won this contest, but neither hast thou."

Heero squatted down with his sword stuck in the ground in front of him. "So what does that mean?"

"It means," said Gift, "that we must engage in an alternate contest."

"I don't mind fighting," Heero said.

"Nor I, but I like thee, and I would be saddened should I accidentally kill thee."

"That's fair."

Roku was sniffing curiously at the tip of Gift's spiked tail.

Gift looked over his shoulder at the little tiger. "How now, youngling. Think thou to have a go at me?"

"Oh, no, Master Gift!" Roku replied. "I've just never seen a dragon before."

Gift's bright black eyes opened wide. "Thou canst speak! I trow I have never seen the like! How came this to be so?"

"He's my son," Quatre said.

Gift regarded Quatre quizzically. "Thou made thy offspring a striped cat?"

"He was born that way."

"Thou didst mate with a striped cat?" Gift sounded very confused.

"No!" Quatre growled. "I was sort of a female tiger when I gave birth to him."

"That is… most astonishing!" Gift looked back over his shoulder at Roku. "Wilt thou come closer, little cat, that I might have a better look at thee?"

Roku trotted around and sat down in front of Gift.

Gift lowered his head until he and Roku were nose to snout.

"You might want to have a care there, Gift," Duo said. "Quatre's a might protective of Roku."

"Thou mayest trust me to offer no harm to thy youngling," Gift said in a deep rumble. He touched noses with Roku and sniffed. "I do scent more to thee than meets the eye." He lifted his head and looked at Quatre. "This is indeed most intriguing. In sooth, methinks thou art a sorcerer. Is this not so?"

"I am," Quatre said gravely.

"Well," said Gift. "It is an uncommon use of thy skill, I must acknowledge, and very clever."

"Do you have any offspring?" Roku asked.

"Alas, no, little one," Gift replied. "The nearest female of my kind lives four counties over, and she is somewhat prickly of nature."

"Do little dragons look just like big dragons?"

"More or less, though somewhat less thick in the body."

Roku thought about that for a moment. "Ok, watch this!"

"Roku, wait!" Quatre exclaimed.

But it was too late. Little Roku shimmered blue for a moment, and then a gangling adolescent dragon formed in his place. His scales were orange rather than gold, with tan scales on his belly and a thick stripe of black scales down the middle of his back.

Gift reared up in astonishment.

Heero put a hand over his face and shook his head.

Trowa, Wu-Fei and Duo grinned.

Quatre frowned sternly. "What do you think you're doing, young man?"

"I'm a dragon!" Roku announced gleefully. He flared out his little orange wings. "Master Gift, can you teach me to fly?"

"Absolutely not!" Quatre exclaimed.

"It would be my pleasure, young Roku," said Gift.

Quatre strode quickly forward and grabbed Gift by the spines growing out of his chin. He yanked the dragon's head down to eye-level and glared into Gift's black eyes with a dangerous expression.

"I will take a very dim view of it if my baby is hurt in any way," he said in a deadly calm voice.

Gift blinked at Quatre in some alarm. "I will take the utmost care of thy child, Master Sorcerer," Gift replied carefully.

"See that you do." Quatre released Gift and the dragon quickly backed up several paces.

Gift glanced nervously at Duo. "Thy companion is rather touchy."

"You should have seen him when he was pregnant. We're all lucky to be alive."

Quatre glared at Duo.

Gift turned to Roku. "Come, little one. I will show thee the fine art of dragon-flight. But thou must do as I tell thee, lest thy loving parent be unduly concerned."

"Yes, Master Gift."

Everyone watched as Gift explained the principles of lift and drag, and how it applied to dragon wings. Then Gift and Roku leaped into the air and flapped away. It only took Roku two tries to get airborne. Within minutes, he was swooping through the sky in loops and dives that had Quatre shaking his head and muttering in Latin.

"It's not good when he mutters like that," Duo remarked.

"No, it's not," agreed Wu-Fei.

They edged away from Quatre.

"How long do you think they're going to do that?" Hagrimore asked after a while. "We still have not got the answer to our question."

"True," said Percival. "The dragon said he would propose an alternate contest."

"I suppose we shall just have to wait until they're finished."

After several minutes, Gift and Roku flew back to the clearing. Roku executed a high-speed entrance and then stalled out at the last instant. He dropped three feet to the ground laughing happily.

"Whee! That was fun!" Roku ambled up to Quatre and licked his face with a long, thin dragon tongue. "You should try it, Mama!"

"Maybe another time, sweetie. But you had better change into another form or we'll lose the rest of our knights. It's bad enough with Papa Wu-Fei breathing fire."

"Yes, Mama." Roku returned to his tiger form.

"That is a most amazing skill," Gift remarked admiringly. Then he glanced at Wu-Fei. "But did I hear Master Quatre aright? Art thou truly possessed of the most honorable talent of fire-breathing?"

"Yes, thanks to you," Wu-Fei said with an angry frown. "And I've got scales growing all over my back, too! They itch, dammit!"

"Unfortunately, itchy scales are a burden all dragons must bear," Gift said with a sigh. "But that is why we like maidens. They are always willing to apply a little oil to the spots we cannot reach." He turned to Duo. "And what about thee, Master Duo? Has my gift been of use to thee?"

"Oh, yeah, but the curse is just a blast," Duo growled. "I can hear people's thoughts."

"In sooth? But thou dost not find this useful?"

"Not in crowds."

"Ah."

"Master Gift," Percival interrupted. "I would like to return to the subject of our original question regarding our quest."

"Oh, yes." Gift nodded. "I did propose an alternate contest. I find I like thee, so I will set thee a simple contest. I will give thee a riddle. Should any of ye answer it, I will set thy feet upon the path to the next trial."

Gift thought for a moment, and then he spoke:

"Soft as down, thick as night, no sword may cut, nor passeth sight. What am I?"

The three knights exchanged confused glances, but Wu-Fei smiled.

"Shall I say it, or would someone else like to?" Wu-Fei said.

"Go ahead," Trowa replied.

"Fog!" said Wu-Fei.

"Correct!" Gift cried. "Thou art a most intelligent human, Chang Wu-Fei."

"Thank you."

Gift grinned. "Once again, I have had a most pleasurable day. Methinks I shall have to spare the local villagers any depredations for some few weeks as thanks. But, thou art waiting most patiently, so I shall keep my word." Gift sat back on his haunches, folded his wings and lifted his head dramatically. "_Carved on the druid's altar in the heart of the Black Forest are the sacred words that light the darkness_." He lowered his head and winked at them. "In sooth, that is all I am supposed to say, but as I like thee well, I will tell thee that the Black Forest lies eight days journey to the north, and that the druids only use the altar on the nights of the full moon and the new moon."

Percival bowed deeply. "I thank you in deepest gratitude, Master Gift."

"Thou art most welcome, Noble Knight. I will tell thee something else. If thou and thy comrades would avoid fattening my belly in the future, thou hast only to speak my name and I will spare thee. So remember it: Phuketanapitispoor Manakawatra."

"We are all dragon-food," said Hagrimore.

"Nonsense," said Trowa. "It's easy: Phuketanapitispoor Manakawatra. See?"

"My tongue hurts just listening to you say that."

Gift chuckled. "Master Heero, now that we have fought, methinks I owe thee a gift."

"Don't take it," Duo said immediately. "You'll regret it."

"Now, Master Duo," said Gift, "thou chose thy own gift. I am not to blame."

"I didn't!" Wu-Fei exclaimed. "I never wanted to breathe fire or grow scales."

"Perhaps not," Gift said, "but thou must agree that being unkillable is useful."

"He has a point," Heero said.

Wu-Fei grumbled something unprintable under his breath.

"One moment," Gift said and he retreated into his cave. He was gone for only a few moments and returned holding a golden armband between his claws. He offered it to Heero. "This band will give thee the power to appear as any person whom thine eyes have once beheld."

Heero took the armband and studied it for a moment. "How does it work?"

"See thou the carving of a face with closed eyes?"

"Yes."

"And upon the opposite side a face with open eyes?"

"Yes."

"Place thou the band upon thy arm with the open eyes facing out and thy own face wilt thou wear. But turn thou the band so that the closed eyes face out, while holding the image of another person in thy mind, and as that person wilt thou appear. Thou wilt appear thus until the band is rotated again."

"Hmm…" Heero slid the band up onto his left upper arm with the open-eyed face facing out. Then he glanced at Duo for a moment and rotated the band. A second Duo appeared in the clearing in place of Heero.

"Oh, that is too creepy," Quatre said. "One Duo is probably more than we need."

"Hey!" Duo exclaimed. "I think he looks pretty good."

"He still smells like Papa Heero," Roku said.

"He will sound like himself, also," Gift added. "The glamour is one of sight only."

The Duo clone rotated the band again and Heero reappeared.

"That's pretty cool," Heero acknowledged. "Thank you, Gift."

"Thou art most welcome, Sir Heero."

"Why is it that Heero gets the cool gift?" Wu-Fei grumbled.

"Because he's got the biggest…"

"Shut up, Duo!" Heero snapped.

Gift yawned. "If thou wilt forgive me, methinks I am ready to resume my nap." He bowed his head gravely. "It has been a pleasure, gentlemen."

"Thank you, Gift, for aiding us in our quest," Percival replied politely.

Gift curled back up and closed his eyes.

The group left the clearing and climbed back up the bluff to the where the other knights were waiting. Some of these knights regarded Roku with expressions of vague alarm. Noting this, Quatre began to grumble to himself.

"What's the matter, Quatre?" Trowa asked as the group rode back to Hammersly.

"I don't like the way those knights are looking at my baby."

"He did turn into a dragon, Quatre."

"They've seen him change shape before."

"Into a little boy. A dragon is something else entirely."

"They should have realized that if he can change from a tiger to a boy, he can change into whatever he wants."

"They probably just never thought it through before."

"Well, apparently they are now. And I don't like it."

Trowa regarded Quatre worriedly. "You're not thinking of turning them into anything, are you?"

Quatre frowned. "Not permanently."

"Quatre…"

"Ok! Fine! I won't turn them into anything. They just better not try anything with Roku, that's all."

The innkeeper didn't hide his surprise very well when they returned to the inn.

"So, you avoided being eaten by the dragon a second time?" he said. "That is quite impressive."

"We're good friends with the dragon, buddy," Duo said. "You just keep that in mind when you're making unreasonable demands for payment."

'Of course! Of course!" the innkeeper said hastily. "How about a nice dinner?"

And the group settled down to a solid meal of beef stew with fresh bread and butter, roast chicken, leek and onion pie, soft yellow cheese, bread pudding with raisins and apple tarts.

Roku had some of everything, which could be determined easily by examining his fur.

Quatre shook his head mournfully. "He needs a bath again."

"Yup," Trowa said.

"Oh, goody!" Roku said.


	11. The Black Forest

Chapter 11: The Black Forest

"Man, this place is aptly named," Duo remarked.

After eight days of travel, the Black Forest rose up before them, dark and forbidding.

"It's weird the way it just springs up like that, like a wall," Duo continued.

"It looks to have been cut back," Hagrimore said. "No doubt local farmers were clearing fields for crops and grazing."

"Most likely," Damodin agreed.

"I don't see any herds," Trowa remarked.

"The land doesn't look cultivated either," said Quatre.

"That doesn't surprise me," said Duo, "Would you want to live near that?"

The forest did indeed present such a gloomy and foreboding atmosphere that it was hard to imagine anyone willingly living near it.

As they rode up to its edge, everyone unconsciously slowed down, including the horses. At the very edge, everyone stopped and stared up at the towering trees.

There were fewer people in the group now. Upon returning to Hammersly after leaving Gift's cave, four knights had gone aside, talking quietly among themselves and casting nervous glances in Roku's direction. Roku seemed oblivious to this, but Quatre was clearly not. He watched the four knights with an expression which should have worried them far more than Roku's shape-changing. When Quatre began mumbling under his breath, Trowa spoke to him.

"What's bugging you, Quatre?"

"Those knights," Quatre grumbled, pointing with his chin. "They're talking about Roku."

"They're just worried about his dragon escapade, that's all. They'll get over it."

"Hmph!" Quatre leaned over to Duo. "Duo, what are those knights thinking about?"

Duo looked up from his dinner (it was his third plateful, so he was about half done) and squinted at the knights.

"Umm… They're wondering… Shit, it's noisy in here! They're wondering what else Roku can turn into."

"I thought so."

"It's just what I said," Trowa said.

"That one," Duo pointed with his fork at one knight, "is also remembering that Roku performed magic twice helping Quatre."

"I knew it!" Quatre exclaimed.

"You're not helping, Duo," Trowa muttered with a frown.

Duo shrugged. "Just repeating what I hear."

"Master Quatre," said Percival, "you know that no knight of King Arthur's court would ever think to offer harm to your son."

"Maybe not directly," Quatre said, "but if they start making comments to people, it could cause trouble."

"We're wandering around with a talking tiger, Quatre," Heero said. "I'm pretty sure people are already making comments, whether our companions say anything or not."

"But right now, everyone thinks he's a harmless curiosity. I like it that way." Quatre frowned. "He's still just a little boy, despite any powers he might have. He trusts people."

"You don't need to worry about, Roku," Duo said around a mouthful of food. "He can read people better than I can. No one's going to get close to him with trouble in mind. Anyway, a couple of those guys are thinking about returning to Camelot. They're pretty much adventured-out."

"Well, good riddance to them," Quatre said, rather uncharitably.

"Our numbers keep dwindling," Damodin remarked.

"Aye, but no one has died, so all-in-all, I would call this a good quest," Hagrimore said.

"True."

In the morning, three of the four knights elected to return to Camelot. The fourth, Sir Olwin, saw the other three on their way and then rejoined the rest of the party.

"You are not accompanying the others, Sir Olwin?" Percival asked.

"Nay, Sir Percival," said Olwin. "I thought to come on this journey for a lark and I had not thought to turn back at the first challenge. Mere physical contests, such as we have had, should be no match for a proper knight and I have taken no qualm from them. I do confess to experiencing some dismay, as Sir Mauldin did, at learning of Master Duo's talent. But then I thought: if I, as a true gentleman, have such thoughts as I am ashamed for another man to hear, than I am no true gentleman. And I confess also to being somewhat put off by the many unusual talents of our youngest member," he inclined his head to Roku, "but again, I considered that he has never offered harm to anyone, and is but an innocent child in sooth, so therefore I, as a knightly gentleman, should have no cause to judge or fear him. And finally," Olwin concluded, "what sort of pious man would I be to give up on this most holy quest?"

Percival clapped Olwin on the back proudly. "Well said, Sir Olwin!" he cried. "That is the sort of talk it pleases me to hear."

Even Heero had a grudging hint of a smile on his face.

"And how do you say, Sir Mendelere, being now the last who has not spoken his piece?"

The other remaining knight, one of the four whom Percival had originally invited, along with Hagrimore, Damodin and a knight who had been injured at Ettenmoor, rubbed a hand over the top of his head, where early baldness was taking its toll.

"Well now, Sir Percival," said Mendelere, "I might repeat all that Sir Olwin just said, for I agree that his words were well spoken."

Olwin nodded his thanks.

"And to it I might add that I've a mind to see this task through to the end, for whether or not we find the Holy Grail at the end of our quest, to have gone through it all and kept our honor is a fine thing of itself."

"Huzzah!" Hagrimore and Damodin shouted.

Then Mendelere grinned sheepishly. "Perhaps, in all fairness, I should also mention that my wife told me not to return before summer."

So it was an energized and focused group that set out from Hammersly for the Black Forest, and who now found themselves facing that glowering wall of trees on an overcast day that would have benefited greatly from a little sun.

"It doesn't smell very good," Roku said. His nose was twitching.

"It smells of rot," Damodin agreed.

"The growth is so thick, the sun must never reach the ground," said Trowa.

"We should look for a trail," Quatre said. "Gift said we need to go to the druid's altar and it sounded like they use it regularly. In that case, there should be a path."

"That is a good idea," said Percival. "Let's split up. Half will go to the left and half to the right. If a trail is found, note its location and return. In either case, we should meet back here no later than sunset."

The group split along natural lines, with the five pilots and Roku heading east and the five knights heading west.

The pilots had not been traveling five minutes when Roku lifted his head and sniffed.

"There's a stream up ahead," Roku announced.

The stream was narrow but swift flowing, and the water was clear and cold. They stopped to get drinks.

"I didn't expect decent water to be coming out of a place like that," Duo said. "This tastes pretty good."

"Perhaps the forest just looks bad," Trowa said.

"And smells bad," Wu-Fei added.

"Let's keep moving," said Quatre.

They crossed the stream and continued along the forest edge.

"Look! Sheep!" Roku cried.

"Do not chase them!" Quatre ordered sternly.

"Aw, man!" Roku complained. He sounded just like Duo.

As they came closer, they could see a shepherd keeping watch from the top of a boulder.

Quatre reined to a halt. "Why don't Roku and I wait here and the rest of you go ask that fellow if he knows of a trail into the forest?"

"Hmph!" Roku plopped down on his haunches.

The others rode up to the shepherd.

"Good day," Trowa greeted him. "We are travelers seeking a way through this forest. Do you know of a path that might ease our passage?"

"Oh, aye," the shepherd said. He pointed toward the east. "The Druid's Road lies just beyond the field there. It's wide enough for your horses."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, but have a care. Stick to the road. It's three days till the full moon and the druids get prickly. They don't sacrifice people or anything, but that don't mean they won't kill someone who's trespassing."

The four pilots exchanged glances.

"Thanks for the warning," Trowa said.

"What happens if you blunder across the druids on the full moon?" Duo asked. "We have other people traveling with us that we have to meet up with first."

The shepherd shook his head. "I wouldn't advise being around during the full moon ceremony. The druids summon spirits and not all of them are gentle woodland sprites, if you know what I mean."

They thanked him again and rode back to Quatre and Roku.

"This isn't good," Quatre said upon being told of the shepherd's remarks. "It's already pretty late. We won't be able to start until tomorrow. If the altar is more than a day's ride into the woods, we'll only have one day to find what we need and get out before the druids show up."

"That assumes they don't show up until the day of the full moon," Wu-Fei pointed out.

"Maybe we should just wait until after the full moon," Duo said.

"Sit around on our hands for three or four days?" Heero growled with annoyance. "What's the point of that? We can handle a few druids." He started riding west, toward the rendezvous.

"He has a point," Wu-Fei said. "We handled the ghouls just fine, after all."

"Says the guy who's un-killable," Duo mumbled under his breath.

"Don't worry about it, Duo," Quatre said. "You have two sorcerers accompanying you. I'm sure we can handle anything the druids can dish out."

"Mama, what are druids?"

"Druids are a religious group who adhere to a belief in a natural order. Some people say they worship trees, but that isn't really true."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Well, I've never met any, so I can't say from experience."

"They're probably dangerous in the same way wild animals are dangerous," Trowa said. "Going about their normal behaviors might result in bad things happening to someone, but it might not be specifically intentional."

"But we could still end up just as dead," Duo grumbled. "I don't see why we can't wait until after the full moon."

"Don't be such a wuss, Duo," Heero said. "How bad could it be?"

"That is such a loaded question."

"Show some backbone, Duo," Wu-Fei said lightly.

"Maybe the duke's daughters screwed it out of him," Quatre said with a grin.

"That's not funny!" Duo exclaimed. "I barely managed to enjoy myself last night."

"Two or three times," Wu-Fei added in an exaggerated whisper.

"I thought it was four," Heero whispered back.

"You might be right," Wu-Fei replied.

"I get no respect!" Duo complained.

"But you do get screwed," Quatre noted.

"It's the only reason I put up with all this abuse," Duo said haughtily, but then he grinned.

"There's Sir Percy, Mama."

The five knights were waiting at the rendezvous.

"I hope you had better success than we did," Percival said when they arrived. "There is a large river not too far west of here that looks all but impassable."

"We did," Quatre replied. "There's a road not too far east of here that leads into the woods."

"Our informant called it the Druid's Road," Trowa added, "which bodes well for it leading to the altar."

"Most excellent!" Percival said with satisfaction. He glanced at the sky. "As it looks to be near sunset, we should make camp and continue in the morning."

"I agree," said Trowa. "We found a small stream just over there with fresh water. We should camp near there."

"Good idea."

They made their way back to the stream and set up camp for the night.

In the morning, the group set out for the Druid's Road. Hagrimore eyed it skeptically when they arrived at the opening leading into the Black Forest.

"'Road' seems a mighty generous description for that muddy game trail," Hagrimore remarked.

"Didn't that shepherd say it was wide enough for horses?" Quatre asked

"He didn't say we wouldn't have to go single file," Trowa replied.

"If it gets any narrower, we'll have to get off and walk," said Duo

"I'll go first," said Heero and he led the way into the forest.

Sir Percival followed him and the others fell into line, with Olwin and Mendelere bringing up the rear.

Almost immediately, the temperature dropped and all trace of sunshine disappeared. Water dripped from branches that were probably wet year round and mud squelched unpleasantly under the horses' hooves.

"Do you want to ride with me, Roku?" Quatre asked.

"No thank you, Mama. I like the mud."

Quatre sighed. "I was afraid you would say that."

"May I walk up in front with Papa Heero?"

"Go ahead."

Roku trotted up the line of horses until he was next to Heero.

"Did Quatre say you could come up here?"

"Yes, Papa Heero."

"Good. You can take point. Your nose is better than mine."

"Ok." Roku trotted out in front of Heero's horse.

The road, such as it was, had that meandering, no-hurry, who-needs-straight-lines quality that one often finds on game trails. It did not get any narrower, fortunately, but neither did it get any wider. Every now and then, however, they passed a narrow post stuck into the ground beside the road with runes carved on it.

"What do you suppose the runes mean?" Damodin asked.

"Warnings not to leave the trail, most likely," Hagrimore said gloomily.

"I think they're distance markers," Wu-Fei said. "Some of those runes I recognize as numbers."

"You can read the runes?" Damodin asked in surprise.

"Partially," Wu-Fei replied. "I have studied many interesting topics over the years, and I spent a few months studying ancient runes once. I don't recognize all of these symbols, but several of them are familiar. But I think Sir Hagrimore is partly right. That last post I think said something about a hazard to travelers in this area."

"What kind of hazard?"

"I don't know. The symbol they used was unfamiliar."

"It's probably some kind of natural hazard, like quicksand," Trowa suggested. "I haven't heard or seen any sign of animals near the road."

"That's true," agreed Hagrimore. "Come to think of it, I don't hear any birds either."

"Great!" Duo mumbled sarcastically. "Nothing lives here. That bodes well."

Now that Hagrimore had mentioned it, it became plain to everyone that the only thing they could hear, beyond the noise they were making themselves, was the incessant dripping of water from the tree branches.

"Young Roku," Percival called, "do you smell anything of note?"

"No, Sir Percy," Roku replied, "except that I think some people came through here not too long ago."

"People?" Heero asked immediately. "Are there tracks?"

"There are footprints in the mud," said Roku, "and sometimes I can smell people."

"Everyone stop!" Heero ordered. He immediately swung down from his horse and squatted down beside Roku to examine the footprints. Then he walked a short way up the trail to examine more tracks before returning and remounting his horse.

"I think Roku's right," Heero said. "I'd say at least ten people used this road within the last day or so; probably druids on their way to the altar for their full moon ceremony."

"That could pose a problem," said Percival.

"Let's try to pick up the pace," Heero said. "If we can find the druid's altar tomorrow, we should be able to get what we need and be on our way with a full day to spare before the night of the full moon."

"Agreed."

"We should have gotten lunch out before we started," Duo complained. "I'm hungry!"

"Do you want to eat or do you want to get to the altar before the full moon?" Wu-Fei asked with a grin.

"How about eat and get there after the full moon?"

"Nice try."

But everyone was complaining about being hungry when growing darkness made them decide that the unseen sun was setting. At about the same time, the trail entered an obviously man-made clearing with a natural spring on one side.

"I guess this is where we stop," Heero announced.

Everyone quickly dismounted and immediately dug out food.

"It must be overcast," Hagrimore said, staring up at the dark sky visible between the branches that did not quite meet over their heads. "I see no stars."

"It's so damp and chilly here," Damodin complained. "I wonder if even Master Wu-Fei's fire can light this wood."

"It better!" Wu-Fei said. "I'm cold, too."

Wood was collected and assembled into a large pile. It took awhile, and there was a lot of smoke, but eventually Wu-Fei was able to get the fire burning. Everyone huddled close to the warmth and finished their dinners. Roku sat with his back to the fire when he finished eating, staring at the forest.

"What are you looking at, Roku?" Trowa asked.

"There are eyes."

"What!" Anyone who had been drowsy a moment before was now wide awake.

"I see eyes," Roku repeated. "Mostly green ones, but there are some red ones, too."

Ten sets of human eyes focused on the dark wall of the forest.

"I don't see anything," Hagrimore said.

"They're kind of small and close to the ground."

"What the hell?" Duo exclaimed. "I see them, too!"

"So do I," said Heero.

Eventually, everyone could see them.

"What do you suppose they are?" Olwin asked. He sounded as if he was questioning his decision to continue on the quest.

"There're not human," Duo said. "I don't hear any thinking."

"I don't think they're animals, either," said Trowa.

"They're not," Roku assured him, "I don't smell anything."

"Let's see if we can get a better look," Quatre said. He spoke softly and a ball of light formed in his right hand. He tossed it toward the forest.

There was a flurry of guttural squeals and several half-seen shapes scattered away from Quatre's light.

"That didn't help," Duo said.

"Well, it doesn't seem like they intend us any harm," Wu-Fei noted. "Maybe the light from the fire attracts them."

"But what are they?" Olwin definitely sounded unhappy.

"The shepherd said the druids summon spirits during their ceremonies," Wu-Fe said. "Maybe these are sprites of some kind."

"Sprites?" Heero said. "But we can see them. They have bodies." He drew his sword and marched purposefully toward the shining eyes.

"Heero, wait!" Quatre exclaimed, but his warning went unheeded.

Heero strode up to the trees and swung his sword at the ground. He was immediately swarmed by dozens of small creatures that stood no higher than his knees.

"Get off me, you damn things!" Heero exclaimed. He kicked his legs and swung his arms to knock the creatures off. They scattered with guttering noises that almost sounded like giggling and retreated to a safe distance.

"Dammit!" Heero snarled. "One of the damn things bit me!" He examined his left arm, just below the armband he'd gotten from Gift.

"Let me have a look," said Trowa. He examined the wound. "It's not serious, but let's disinfect it." He picked up a burning twig from the fire and jammed it against the bite mark.

Heero snatched his arm away. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Cauterization works best," Trowa replied brightly.

Heero muttered something extremely unflattering under his breath.

"Well, this might prove interesting later," Quatre said.

"Why?" asked Wu-Fei.

"I read about sprites in one of Merlin's books. It said sprites mark people with small bites so they can find them later. Apparently, sprites have difficulty telling humans apart. Heero's been marked, which means sprites can recognize him now. It may not mean anything, but the book said only marked humans could get sprites to do favors for them."

"You mean Heero can order them around?" Duo asked.

"No, it means he can ask them for favors, which they may or may not choose to grant."

"That is quite interesting," Wu-Fei said.

"The eyes are gone," Roku announced.

"Do you suppose they just wanted to mark someone?" Trowa asked.

"Probably," Quatre replied.

"This is just great!" Heero growled.

"I did try to warn you."

"Maybe it won't be a bad thing," Wu-Fei said.

"What are the odds?" replied Duo.


	12. The Druid's Altar

Chapter 12: The Druid's Altar

In the morning, they discovered that the gap in the trees produced by the clearing allowed the fog to sink all the way to the ground. It was very damp and very cold and no amount of fire-breathing on Wu-Fei's part could get so much as a twig to light. It was a wet and shivering group that resumed the trail after eating a cold breakfast. Roku was the only one who seemed in reasonable spirits as they plodded along the muddy trail.

"Are there any tracks from those damn sprites?" Heero asked.

"No, Papa Heero, just the people."

Heero rubbed his arm and muttered to himself.

"Look at the bright side," Hagrimore said with as much cheer as he could muster, "scars are manly."

"Then Heero's about as manly as they come," Duo said. "You wouldn't believe some of the places he has scars."

"That's true," agreed Wu-Fei. "There's that big one on his…"

"Shut up, Wu-Fei!"

"Doesn't he usually say that to me?" Duo whispered loudly to Wu-Fei.

"Usually," Wu-Fei whispered back, equally loudly. "And I was only going to mention the scar on his knee where you broke his leg and he decided to set it himself."

"Oh? You weren't thinking about the big scar right above his…"

"Shut up, Duo!"

"That's more like it," Duo said with a smile.

"Are you sure we are traveling in the right direction?" Olwin asked. "Everything looks exactly the same."

"There are no hoof prints ahead of us," Percival said, "so we must be going the right way. But I agree; it is hard to tell."

"Here's another sign post," Roku announced.

Wu-Fei studied the post as he rode by. "The distance is right with respect to the posts we've passed so far."

"Can you tell what the distances are being measured toward?" Trowa asked.

"As near as I can tell," said Wu-Fei, "the top number tells us how far we've come and the bottom number indicates how far it is to where we're going. But that number changes every now and then, along with the symbol beside it, so I think there are at least three different destinations being measured. I suspect the farthest one is the other side of the forest. One of the others may be the druid's altar."

"What kind of distances are we talking about?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but given the era, I think the distances are probably in furlongs, which is about two hundred meters. That sign post had a distance value of one hundred and eighty. If that's furlongs, then we've come about thirty-six kilometers, which, given how long we've been riding through this wretched, soggy forest, means we're making about 6 kilometers per hour, which seems about right to me."

"Show off…" Duo muttered.

"It's just arithmetic."

"I think Master Wu-Fei is correct in his assumption," Percival said. "Furlongs are most likely the measurement. What is the distance to the nearest destination?"

"Three hundred furlongs."

"We've barely come half way!" Sir Olwin exclaimed.

"And we have no idea if that's the distance to the druid's altar," Hagrimore added. "What's the next nearest distance?"

"Five hundred furlongs."

"We can't make that until tomorrow afternoon," Heero said flatly.

"We better hope the first stop is the druid's altar," Trowa said.

A long damp morning of travel brought them to a crossroads. A thick post stood in the center of the intersection with runes carved on all four sides. Wu-Fei dismounted and examined the post carefully.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," he said finally. "The bad news is, I'm pretty sure we're standing at the first destination. The good news is, I'm pretty sure the second destination is the druid's altar." He pointed at a symbol on the side of the post facing the direction from which they'd come. "This is the same symbol that I took to mean the edge of the forest. We know that's the only thing back that way and the distance matches what we just covered to get here." He walked around the post, pointing at the same symbol on two of the other three sides. "Both of these paths have the same symbol with different distances, so that must indicate how far it is to the edge of the forest in these two directions." He stopped in front of the last symbol, which was on the side of the crossroads leading to their left. "This symbol matches the other symbol I was seeing, so it must be the druid's altar, and the distance is right: two hundred furlongs."

No one seemed particularly happy to receive this news.

"Papa Wu-Fei," Roku spoke up, "you said we passed a symbol for the distance to the edge of the forest. Which way do you suppose they meant?"

Wu-Fei patted Roku on the head. "Good question, Roku." He stepped around to the side of the post opposite the direction from which they'd entered. "These runes here translate to one thousand, two hundred furlongs." He moved to the side opposite the direction to the druid's altar. "These runes translate to seven hundred and fifty. The last distance marker we passed put the edge at fifteen hundred furlongs." He looked at Roku expectantly.

Roku pointed down the continuation of the trail they were following. "It's that edge."

"Correct."

"So we don't know how far it is to the forest's edge on the trail to the altar," Quatre pointed out.

"Quite true," Wu-Fei agreed.

"What if this trail dead-ends at the altar?" Duo asked. "We'd have to backtrack to here to get out of the forest."

"If we go in this direction," Mendelere asked suddenly, "won't we run into that river?"

"We've turned about so much," Hagrimore said, "I am no longer sure of the direction in which we travel."

"None of that matters," Heero interrupted. "We still have to go to the altar. Let's get moving. We have to find some place to stop for the night. There's no way we're reaching the altar before tomorrow afternoon."

"Let's get out food now," Duo demanded. "I'm not riding all day on an empty stomach again!"

Everyone but Heero agreed with that sentiment, so food was unpacked before they resumed riding.

"You know," said Duo, "this place is not so depressing if your belly's full."

"I would have to agree with that," said Hagrimore cheerfully.

They made good time and sunset found them entering another manmade clearing. This one had a small stream running swiftly along one edge, cutting across the trail.

Roku took a long drink. "I think this is the same stream we saw before we entered the forest," he said. "It tastes the same."

"Really?" said Trowa. "That's interesting."

"But it also means we are much closer to that large river we encountered," Percival said.

"Maybe the trail turns," Damodin said.

"I hope so," said Sir Olwin. "I do not like the idea of trying to ford that river."

"Neither do I."

When darkness fell, Roku nodded toward the trees. "The eyes are back."

Everyone looked.

Heero swore. "Get lost!" he shouted.

The eyes moved about, but they didn't leave.

"Quatre, can sprites talk?" Wu-Fei asked abruptly.

"Merlin's book didn't say. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking that Heero could ask the sprites how many druids are at the altar. If we outnumber them, we're less likely to have trouble when we get there."

They looked expectantly at Heero. Heero glared back.

"You expect me to talk to them?"

"It can't hurt."

Heero swore again. He jumped to his feet and stamped over to the nearest set of eyes. "How many druids are at the altar?" he demanded.

A small shape edged out into the firelight. It looked a little bit like a small child, except it had grayish-green skin and a bald head. Its small eyes glowed bright green above a long, thin, pointed nose and a small triangular mouth.

It pointed up at Heero. "Ask nicely, Man with Many Faces!" it trilled.

Heero looked over his shoulder at the others with an angry glower.

Quatre waved toward the sprite and lifted his eyebrows.

Heero frowned darkly and turned back to the sprite. "Can you please tell me how many druids are at the altar?" He sounded like each word was dragged out of him with great pain.

The sprite giggled. "Five times five have walked this path," it said and dashed back into the darkness.

"So much for outnumbering them," said Wu-Fei.

"Maybe they'll be reasonable about it, if we get there before nightfall," Trowa said. "All we want to do is read the words on the altar."

"Oh, sure!" said Duo. He assumed a high-pitched voice and batted his eyes. "Oh, sir! Do you mind terribly if I walk into the middle of your most sacred grove and read the most sacred words off your most sacred altar? I promise not to desecrate anything!"

"I think Master Duo has the gist of it," Percival said. "No doubt the grove where the altar stands is indeed sacred. We must proceed with great caution to avoid giving offense."

"What kinds of weapons are they likely to have?" Heero asked with his usual practicality.

"Spears and knives, most likely," Hagrimore replied.

"No match for swords, then."

"What if they summon spirits?" Damodin asked. "Our swords will be of little use then."

"It would be better if we could gain their cooperation," Percival said. "I do not like the idea of disrupting their ceremony or injuring any of them under these circumstances. We are in their territory."

"I'd prefer that, too," said Heero. "But I like to be prepared." He began checking the sharpness of the various knives he had secreted about his person.

The night was uneventful and the next morning found them making an early start in the hope of reaching the altar well before sunset. Their plan met with disaster almost immediately.

"I smell water," Roku announced, trotting along in the lead. "A lot of water."

"How can you tell?" Duo exclaimed. "The entire forest is dripping."

Five minutes later, Roku stopped. "I can hear water now. It sounds big."

"What do you mean, big?" Heero demanded.

"It sounds like the stream sounded, only bigger."

"Shit!" Heero growled.

"The river!" Percival and Hagrimore exclaimed in unison.

"Get moving, Roku," Heero ordered. "Let's have a look at this big water."

Five minutes farther down the trail, everyone could hear the sound of rushing water. It got louder and louder, until the thunder of it blocked out the sound of their horses hooves in the mud.

"This is SO not good!" Duo muttered.

Finally, they rode out from the trees into a tiny clearing nestled against the bank of a wide, deep, swift-flowing river. The water surged in ferocious rapids over tumbled rocks and broken logs.

"There is no way we are fording that," Wu-Fei stated matter-of-factly.

"But this is where the trail goes," Damodin said. "The druids must have a way across."

"There it is," Heero said. He pointed up river. A slender and rather delicate-looking rope and wattle bridge was strung across the river between two sturdy trees.

"We can't take the horses across that," Olwin said, sounding alarmed.

"No, we can't," agreed Percival. "They will have to stay here. Some of us will have to stay behind with the horses and supplies. The rest can proceed on foot."

Everyone dismounted and they sorted through their supplies. Water skins were refilled and food transferred to pouches that could be carried on backs or over shoulders.

"How far do we still have to go, Master Wu-Fei?" Percival asked.

Wu-Fei pointed at a sign post at the edge of the clearing where the trail continued along the river bank to the bridge. "Fifty furlongs."

"That's not too far," Hagrimore said, trying to sound encouraging. "Surely we can make that by midday."

No one looked like they believed that.

"Olwin and Mendelere, why don't you stay with the horses?" Percival suggested.

The two named men immediately nodded in agreement. Mendelere at least appeared to be trying not to look too relieved, but Olwin made no attempt to hide the relief on his face. The rest of the group marched along the trail to the bridge.

A ladder of sorts had been nailed against the side of the tree, leading up to a small platform from which the bridge hung. Heero quickly climbed the ladder and stepped onto the platform. It creaked ominously.

"This thing is only going to be able to take one of us at a time," Heero said. "And I'm not sure it will handle Hagrimore's bulk." Heero grinned down at them. "Maybe Quatre could turn us all into birds and we can fly across."

Hagrimore and Damodin went pale.

Quatre frowned. "That's not funny, Heero. And it's not a good idea. It takes time to learn how to fly."

"We can wait here," Hagrimore said quickly. Damodin nodded vigorously in agreement.

Heero stepped out onto the bridge. "You might want to leave your armor behind, Percival." He trotted across the bridge. Trowa climbed up and followed him. Wu-Fei went next and then Duo, while Hagrimore and Damodin helped Percival out of his armor.

"I feel naked," Percival said sheepishly when he stood there in nothing but his under-tunic, trousers and boots.

"You look naked," Hagrimore agreed cheerfully.

Percival climbed up the ladder slowly and stepped gingerly onto the platform. It groaned loudly, but held up. He made his way slowly across the bridge, gripping the rope hand rails tightly. When he made it safely to the other side, Quatre glanced at Roku.

"Shall we take a shortcut?"

"Ok, Mama!" Roku grinned and shimmered into a little hawk.

Quatre turned into a larger hawk and the two of them skimmed across the river and landed on the farther bank.

"Cheaters!" Duo said.

"Well, we already know how to fly," Quatre replied with a superior smile.

"Quit jabbering," Heero growled. "We've got a lot of walking to do."

The group set off down the trail.

"This is absolutely disgusting!" Wu-Fei announced after a few squelching footsteps. "I think this is even muddier than the trail on the other side of the river."

"It sure is," Roku agreed happily. "It squishes right up between your toes."

"That is not an image I want in my mind," Wu-Fei moaned.

"I don't know," said Duo. "It sounds kind of kinky." He winked at Wu-Fei. "I could be up for a little mud-wrestling later."

"I need a bath," Wu-Fei muttered.

"Just don't fall down," Trowa advised.

They squished, squelched and slipped their way along the muddy trail. The thick, deep mud clung to their boots and made the footing treacherous. Everyone but Trowa and Roku fell down at least once. Poor Percival slipped so many times, he was eventually coated with mud. It made for very slow going.

"We're not going to get there before sunset," Percival said worriedly. "I think the sun is already going down."

"I think you're right," Trowa agreed.

Roku slowed down. "I hear people."

"We must be close," Quatre said.

"Roku and I will scout ahead," Heero said. "Wait here." He immediately moved ahead with Roku beside him.

Quatre stopped with a frown. "I think he could at least have asked me if I minded if he dragged my son into mortal danger."

"I doubt the druids are dangerous, Quatre," Trowa said.

"What about the spirits?"

"Roku will be fine."

"Hmph!"

Heero and Roku were only gone a few minutes. They came gliding back down the trail silently. "Come on," Heero said, "but keep it quiet. They've already started."

The trail ended in a large clearing with towering trees all around the edge. In the center of the clearing was a ring of standing stones, where each stone was twice the height of a tall man. In the center of the ring, a massive granite slab rested on two large boulders, forming a giant table. Inside the circle, two dozen or so people knelt around the stone table, looking up at a man standing on top. The man had a long, intricately carved staff in one hand, which he waved through the air as he chanted an incantation.

"What are they doing?" Duo wondered.

"They are trying to invoke spirits," said a woman's voice.

"Holy crap!" Duo exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that!" He stared at the woman who had spoken. She was standing beside a tree to their right, just inside the clearing. She smiled.

"Forgive me," she said. "I am Lorene. You are not here to worship, I take it?"

"No," said Quatre. "We came to read the words carved into the stone altar, but we don't want to interrupt the ceremony."

"I'm afraid you'll have to," Lorene replied. "The sacred words only appear when the full moon's light is directly overhead."

"Why am I not surprised?" Duo muttered.

"Have you seen them?" asked Quatre.

"No. Only the master of the circle is allowed on the altar. But it wouldn't matter if I had. They are written in the old tongue, I've been told, and none of us can read those runes." Lorene looked at Roku curiously. "Are you a spirit, Striped One?"

"No, ma'am. I'm a little boy."

"Ah. The spirits often appear in the form of animals, so one can never be sure." Lorene returned her attention to the druids. "Idiots!" she said softly. "That is no way to call the great ones." Then she shrugged. "Perhaps it is just as well. They would not be able to control a true great spirit and it would consume them."

A thunderous roar shook the trees and all the druids leaped to their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Heero demanded.

"A great one!" Lorene exclaimed in surprise. "A great one comes! That has not happened since I was a girl! Come quickly! The great one will surely consume anyone outside the stone circle!" She dashed toward the standing stones with the six men and Roku on her heels.

"Did you feel that!" Duo exclaimed as they raced between a pair of stones.

"Yes!" Trowa replied. "It felt like cobwebs."

"It was a magic field," Quatre said. "This area is shielded with magic."

They skidded to a halt among the surprised druids.

"Lorene!" the man on the altar shouted. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You fool, Keb!" Lorene shouted back. "What do you plan to do now that the great one comes? What task will you set for it? You cannot summon a great one without a task for it to perform!"

"This is none of your concern!" Keb replied haughtily, but he sounded a little flustered. "I am master of this circle now!"

"Only because our true master and his disciple perished," Lorene said harshly. "You know nothing and now we will all die. The stone circle may not be enough to keep the great one out."

"This does not sound good," Duo said.

The ground began to shake to the ponderous foot falls of a mighty creature. Branches snapped as something massive forced its way though. Trees groaned as a huge shape lumbered into the clearing.

"That is the biggest fucking bear I have ever seen," Duo said flatly.

"Are you sure it's a bear?" Wu-Fei said.

"No."

"It doesn't smell like anything," Roku said.

"It's looking at us," Quatre noted.

"We are doomed!" cried one of the druids.

"Silence!" Keb thundered. "I shall control the beast!" He lifted his arms with the staff in one hand and began to chant.

The bear-spirit began to snarl.

"I don't think the bear likes that," Duo said.

"Neither do I," Trowa agreed. He took three quick steps, leaped into the air, twisted in a graceful flip and landed on his feet in front of Keb. "I'll take that, if you don't mind." He removed the staff from the startled Keb's lax grip.

"Wha…!" Keb began, but his exclamation was cut off when Trowa unceremoniously shoved him off the altar.

"What sort of task would appease a spirit like this one, Lorene?" Trowa asked.

"Set it to make travel clearings on the north road," Lorene whispered quickly.

"Is that all?"

"Yes! It needn't be a difficult task, just one men cannot readily do."

"All right." Trowa thumped the end of the staff on the altar loudly. "Bear-spirit! Hear me!"

To everyone's complete surprise, the creature quit snarling and promptly sat down on its big haunches.

"I thought so," Trowa said quietly. "Since it's in the form of a bear, it speaks bear." He raised his voice and spoke again, repeating the instructions Lorene had given him. The bear growled back. Trowa looked at Lorene. "He wants to know what happened to someone named Lorman."

Lorene clasped her hands together. "That was my father! He was our master when I was a girl. He was the last head druid to successfully summon and control a great spirit. He died many years ago."

Trowa repeated this to the bear. It growled back.

"He says, in honor of your father's memory, he won't eat anyone tonight except the fool who woke him." Trowa glanced down at Keb. "I guess that would be you."

Keb went pale. He stared around wildly, but the other druids all backed away. He looked at Lorene. She pointedly turned her back on him. With a terrified wail, Keb turned and fled, racing across the clearing away from the bear and into the trees.

The bear threw its head back and made a deep grunting sound. Then it looked at Trowa and growled out several phrases.

Trowa began to laugh. "He says he was just kidding, but he's not sure the sprites will be so gentle. Anyway, he'll be glad to make the clearings, but he's wondering if you'd mind entertaining him first with a few songs and dances, since he's here."

Lorene bowed. "We would be honored."

Later, when it was getting on toward midnight, Wu-Fei and Duo sat side by side on the edge of the altar, watching the druids dance and waiting for the moon to reach its zenith. Quatre was asleep on his side on a patch of dry ground with Roku curled up against his tummy. Trowa was stretched out next to them, looking up at the stars. Percival was sound asleep leaning against one of the standing stones. Heero was crouched between the others and the bear-spirit keeping watch, just to be on the safe side.

"I must say," Duo said, "these druids do know how to party."

"I agree." Wu-Fei looked over his shoulder. "Hey! I think something's happening." He stood up and walked into the middle of the table. "Look at this. I can see runes."

"Finally! Can you read them?"

"I think so." Wu-Fei walked back and forth, reading the shimmering symbols as they appeared in the light of the full moon.

"So what does it say?"

"It looks like: _Treasures untold lie In the Wizard's Cave on the Western Sea._"

"That's it?"

"You expected detailed directions?"

"It would be nice for a change."

"Keep dreaming."


	13. Journey to the Western Sea

Chapter 13: Journey to the Western Sea

"We are deeply indebted to you," Lorene said gravely. "I shudder to think what would have happened had we been left with Keb to command the great one. I think we would all be dead now."

"It was a fair exchange, Mistress," Percival assured her. "The opportunity to see the words upon the altar has been of tremendous benefit to us."

"I am glad," Lorene replied with a smile. Her eyes fell on Roku, seated next to Quatre's feet with his tail curled around his paws. "Are you certain you are not a spirit, little one?" she asked. "I sense great power in you."

"Mama says I am a sorcerer," Roku replied politely, "but I'm really just a little boy."

"Indeed? Well, perhaps someday I will have a grandson with power like yours. Then we might once again be able to summon a great spirit."

Trowa held out the staff to her. "You must need this back, for your new master."

Lorene waved her hand. "Oh, no, you should keep it. The staff is passed from master to master. As you have taken it from Keb, the staff is now yours." She winked at him. "The staff has great powers, but we don't really need it for the ceremonies. It just looks impressive."

Trowa examined the staff carefully. It was equal to him in height and intricately carved so that it resembled a snake entwined in a leafy vine. "Are you sure? It's very beautiful."

"I'm quite sure," Lorene said. "If you find its size inconvenient, you can fold it."

"Fold it?" Trowa stared at the stiff wood.

"Like this," Lorene demonstrated. She grasped the staff in both hands about a meter apart and brought them together with a quick folding motion. The staff immediately became slack as a length of rope. "To straighten it again, just do this." She brought her hands apart quickly and the staff became straight again. "Try it." She handed it to Trowa.

He took it from her and held it as she had, with his hands about a meter apart. He brought them together and the staff sagged into a thick loop. "I'll be damned!" Trowa exclaimed. He pulled his hands apart and the staff stiffened back to its original shape. "That's very clever." He brought his hands together again and then looped the snake-like coil over one shoulder and under the opposite arm. "It's kind of thick; I'm not sure I can tie it," he said as he brought the ends together. But to his complete surprise, the snakehead-end of the rope opened its jaws and clasped its tail firmly.

"That's mighty convenient," Heero remarked.

"It's alive!" Duo exclaimed.

"I guess you could say that," Lorene agreed with a nod. "There is a spirit in the staff, so it is alive, after a fashion."

"We should return to our companions," Percival said. "They will be concerned about us."

"Of course," Lorene said. "We will accompany you to the crossroads. I want to go look at the travel clearings the great one is making."

It was a noisy and celebratory group that returned along the trail to the river. From the bank, Percival shouted to the knights waiting on the other side.

"Ho, there, fellow knights!" Percival called. "We return triumphant!"

"We are glad to see you!" Hagrimore called back. "We were drawing straws to see which of us would brave that rickety little bridge to come looking for you."

Quatre and Roku promptly shimmered into falcons and flew across the river, while everyone else made their slow way one by one across the bridge.

"We're gonna have to make him teach us how to fly," Duo complained to Wu-Fei as he waited his turn. "It's not fair he and Roku are the only ones who can go zipping around like that."

"It's certainly worth considering," Wu-Fei agreed.

"I'm not letting Quatre turn me into anything," Heero said flatly. "I still remember that knight who walked like a chicken for weeks after that one incident."

"That's true," Trowa said.

But in time, everyone was back on the same side of the river and introductions were made all around. Then the whole party set off for the crossroads.

"So what was written on the altar?" Damodin asked.

"_Treasures untold lie In the Wizard's Cave on the Western Sea,_" Wu-Fei quoted.

"I've heard of the Wizard's Cave!" Damodin exclaimed. "It is supposed to lie at the base of a cliff on the coast of Cornwall, but no one knows where for certain. There is an old ballad that mentions it."

"Do you remember the ballad?" Percival asked.

"Some of it. Let me think on it and I'll try to recall the whole thing."

With the two groups traveling together, it made for a crowded camping space when they stopped for the night, but the druids' presence kept the sprites at bay, which improved Heero's mood. A brisk morning's travel the next day found them back at the crossroads.

"Here we must part," Lorene said. "We will go north, but I recommend you go back the way you came. It is the shortest way out of the forest."

"Thank you, Mistress Lorene," Percival replied gravely. "We have been honored by this meeting."

"You are most kind, Sir Knight," Lorene said with a smile and a curtsey. Then she and the other druids set off on the north road and the knights turned south.

Everyone was hugely relieved when they finally escaped the woods a day later. As soon as they rode clear of its black, dripping branches, the air warmed and the afternoon sunlight seemed shockingly bright.

"I don't ever want to go into that place again!" Duo announced loudly. "I need a hot bath and a lot of sex."

"Must you be so blunt?" Quatre exclaimed. "Remember, there are children present."

"Yeah, yeah," Duo grumbled. "Where's the nearest inn?"

"We passed one a half day's ride to the south," Hagrimore said.

"I would have to say I agree with Master Duo," Damodin said, "although perhaps not on the subject of a bath, since it is still a bit early in the season for that."

Quatre shook his head. "You are all oversexed."

"But it's not a bad suggestion," Trowa said with a slight smile.

Quatre frowned at him for a moment and then he smiled too. "Fine, we're all oversexed."

"I'd certainly like to be," Duo said. "At the moment, I'd say I'm seriously on the low end of the scale."

"It has been a long time," Wu-Fei murmured wistfully.

"Perhaps my wife would forgive a moment's dalliance," Hagrimore added.

"I'm sure that's why my wife insisted I spend some time away from home," Mendelere put in.

Percival was dismayed. "Gentlemen, we have the next leg of our quest to consider."

"Not until we have sex," Duo stated firmly. "I'm not doing any more questing until I get completely, thoroughly and utterly screwed."

"We have been pushing pretty hard, Sir Percival," Quatre said. "I think taking a break for a few days might not be a bad idea. It's pretty far to Cornwall from here."

There were murmurs of agreement all around, so it was decided to head for the inn for a little rest, some relaxation and lots of sex.

They arrived at the inn right at sunset.

In the dining room, Roku sat down purposefully next to Percival. "May I stay in the same room with you, Sir Percy? Everyone else is going to be very naughty. I think Mama would be happy if I stay with someone who is not being naughty."

"Of course, little one," Percival agreed immediately. "I think that is a fine idea."

"Will you help me take my bath after dinner?"

"I would be honored."

"Take your armor off first," Quatre advised, "or it will rust."

Percival looked a little alarmed.

Duo grabbed Heero's hand. "I want sex first! We can eat later."

"That's a first," said Wu-Fei. "Duo passing up a meal."

"It's sex!" Duo exclaimed plaintively. "Come on! Come on! Come on!" He grabbed Wu-Fei's hand. "You come, too."

Heero let out a long-suffering sigh. "I'm hungry," he complained.

"PLEASE!"

"All right! Shit! Don't make that face." Heero let himself be dragged from the room, along with Wu-Fei.

Trowa glanced at Quatre. "You know, I'm not all that hungry right at the moment myself."

Quatre lifted an eyebrow at him. Trowa put his arm around Quatre's waist and Quatre smiled coyly.

"Well, it has been awhile since we were alone," Quatre murmured.

"Quite a long while," Trowa agreed.

"Perhaps dinner can wait."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Trowa led Quatre from the room.

Damodin, Hagrimore, Mendelere and Olwin were all eyeing the serving girls.

"I say, Damodin," said Hagrimore, "why don't you reel them in and the rest of us can partake of your leftovers." He eyed Damodin for a moment. "You will leave something for the rest of us?"

"I am a gentleman, Sir," Damodin replied haughtily. "I would never indulge my own needs at the expense of my companions." He looked at the serving girls and sighed. "I think everyone should have a soft breast to pillow his head tonight." He rose and approached the nearest of the young women. She blushed and giggled as he spoke to her. After a moment, Damodin returned. "Gentlemen, I believe we are set for the night, but we may as well dine first. Our future companions have to finish serving dinner."

"I am quite shocked by this behavior, gentlemen!" Percival admonished them.

"Don't be such an old woman, Percival!" Hagrimore replied with a laugh. "Even a gentlemen must relieve his needs every once in a while."

Percival turned to Roku. "Young Roku, I am thankful for your innocent company." But then he noted with some dismay that Roku's face was already slathered with a goodly portion of the gravy from his dinner. "Oh, dear!" he exclaimed. "You do need a bath."

"There's mud between my toes, too," Roku informed him cheerfully.

Percival sighed mournfully.

Three straight days of sex, eating and sleeping, performed more or less in that order multiple times, improved everyone's outlook tremendously. They set out on a bright sunny morning with fresh supplies, ready for the long trip to the Cornish coast. But as they got farther into the wild country in the far west, Percival became concerned.

"We must be on our guard," he told them. "There are many independent barons in this part of the country who do not hold their allegiance to good King Arthur."

They ran afoul of one of these barons the very next day.

As the group trotted through open rolling meadows, several armed, mounted men appeared over a rise and galloped swiftly toward them.

"Hold there!" one of the strangers shouted. "You are trespassing on the domain of Baron de Franco!"

Percival and his companions quickly halted as they were surrounded by about thirty men.

"We can fight our way out of this!" Heero whispered angrily.

"Let's try talking first," Percival urged. "Gentlemen!" he called out. "We are just passing through. We would be pleased to pay our respects to Baron de Franco, for we are Knights of the Round Table of King Arthur's court."

"Oh, you'll pay your respects, all right!" one man answered, "and a good sight more, to boot. You will come with us." The Baron's men closed on them, forcing the group to ride in a new direction.

"This is stupid!" Heero growled. "There aren't that many of them."

"Hang tough for a while, Heero," Trowa answered softly. "Let's see what they want before we decide to slaughter them all."

Heero was clearly not happy, but he did not start killing anyone.

A short ride across the fields brought them to a castle made of black stone sitting on a low rise. Serfs toiled in the fields around the castle. They could smell the moat while they were still quite a distance away.

Wu-Fei covered his nose. "Why couldn't we have approached the castle from upwind?" He kept his nose covered until they clattered across the drawbridge and into the castle's courtyard.

The courtyard was smaller than they expected for the size of the castle. A large wall rose up on their left, cutting off nearly two thirds of the space that would normally have been included. As they dismounted, a large richly dressed man stepped through an archway in the wall to regard the arrivals with a superior air.

"My lord Baron," the leader of the capture party said, dropping to one knee in front of him. "We have captured trespassers." He indicated Percival's party with one hand.

"Well, well," Baron de Franco said in a deep, booming voice. "Sturdy knights of King Arthur's court, no doubt."

"The very same," Percival replied. "We are on business that does not concern you, my lord Baron, so if you'd oblige us, we'd like to be on our way."

The Baron threw back his head and laughed. "You are not in Arthur's kingdom now, my friends. These are my lands. You must first prove to me your worth and earn the right to travel freely here."

"Now, Sir…" Percival began.

"Silence!" the Baron roared. "If you wish to travel in my lands, you must pay tribute to me or prove through might of arms that you do not need to." He swept his hand back to indicate the wall behind him. "You will fight in my arena against my best fighters. If you win, you may go about your business unmolested. If you lose, and do not die, you must give me your solemn oath that you will pay a tribute of one hundred gold coins." He grinned wickedly. "In either case, you will provide us with today's entertainment."

"It looks like you get to fight after all, Heero," Trowa remarked.

Percival and his companions, including Roku, whom the Baron's men regarded with open curiosity, were ushered through the archway and into the arena. Once they were inside, a gate was closed behind them, locking them in. The Baron and his men appeared in seats above the wall. The Baron had a large cushioned seat under a canopy. An attractive woman took the seat beside him, which was not as large as the Baron's, but also cushioned. The rest of the wall on either side of the Baron's canopy was comprised of stone benches in rising tiers, allowing dozens of people to watch the action below.

The woman beside the Baron leaned forward. "What manner of creature is that, my husband?" She pointed at Roku. "May I have it?"

"If the creature survives, my dear, it shall be yours."

The knights, pilots and Roku gathered against the far wall to talk.

"How many do you think he'll send against us?" Damodin asked.

"It depends on how badly he wants the money, I warrant," Hagrimore replied. "If he wants the money, he'll send fewer to ensure that we are not all slaughtered. If he is just after the entertainment, he'll send enough to make sure we don't survive."

"I'm really irritated!" Heero growled in a low voice.

"That does not bode well for the Baron's men," Duo said.

"They're wasting our time," Wu-Fei added with a dark glare.

"Master Quatre," Olwin said nervously, "could you not do something magical to free us from this trap?"

"I could, but why?" Quatre said with a shrug. He sat down with his back to the wall. "Let Heero and Wu-Fei deal with it."

"That's a good idea." Duo sat down next to him. "Hey Roku, you got anything to eat?"

"Sure." Roku sat down next to Duo and stuck his nose under one foreleg. He produced a small ham.

"Excellent!" Duo said. He took out his knife and cut off a hunk.

"Let me have some of that," Quatre said. Duo cut off another piece for him.

Trowa sat down on Quatre's other side. "Do you have any bread, Roku?"

"Yup." Roku produced a loaf of dark brown bread. "I got cheese, too." He pulled that out.

"You didn't happen to snag water off one of the horses did you?"

"No, but I have some wine." Roku produced a small wine jug.

"Where did you get that!" Quatre exclaimed. "You shouldn't have that; you're too young!"

"I thought the jug was cute," Roku said with a grin.

Duo took a swig. "That's not bad."

Baron de Franco's face had gone from excited, to confused, to beet red with fury. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted. "This is a battle arena, not a picnic area! Stand up and fight!" He waved his hand and the gate opened, admitting twenty heavily armed fighters.

Heero and Wu-Fei drew their swords.

"No fair setting them on fire before you hack them open, Fei!" Duo called.

"You may as well sit down," Trowa said to the five knights. "You'll just get in the way."

The knights took seats against the wall on either side of the other four. The food and wine were passed around, much to the Baron's every increasing rage.

"Attack!" Baron de Franco screamed.

The fighters charged forward with their weapons raised, shrieking their battle cries.

Heero and Wu-Fei didn't make a sound as battle was joined. They chopped their way into the wall of fighters with the efficiency of meat grinders.

"Oh! That was a pretty move!" Quatre exclaimed. "Did you see the way Wu-Fei pirouetted around that one guy and took his head off? Very nice!"

"What is it with Heero and dismemberment?" Duo said. "He can't just run them through?"

"Well, the broadsword is not really designed for skewering, like Master Wu-Fei's little pig-sticker," Hagrimore said. "In general, it's just easier to hack things apart."

"I guess that makes sense."

"It's impressive though," Hagrimore continued. "To look at him, you would think Master Heero too slight to wield a broadsword with that much force."

"Ooooh!" they all exclaimed together as Heero slammed his sword down on one man's head and split him all the way to his pelvis.

"Ahhhh!" they all exclaimed again as Wu-Fei leaped through the air, flipping over the heads of two fighters and slitting their throats as they stared up at him in surprise.

Only four fighters remained and they were all clustered against the gate, begging to be let out, their eyes round with terror.

Heero and Wu-Fei regarded them calmly.

"What do you think?" Heero said.

"You can have them," Wu-Fei replied. He tore a bit of shirt off the nearest body and cleaned his sword.

Heero approached the terrified fighters resolutely.

"My lord Baron! My lord Baron!" they cried. "Let us out, we yield!" They threw down their weapons and dropped to their knees.

Heero stopped with a vaguely disappointed expression.

Duo, Quatre, Trowa and the others applauded. After a moment, the crowd in the stands began to applaud and cheer as well.

Baron de Franco stood up. "That was a good fight," he admitted with grudging admiration. "And those were some of my best fighters, too." He waved a hand and the gate was opened. The four remaining fighters scrambled out. "Come!" the Baron cried. "Let's have a feast. You are all my honored guests."

"I could use a bath and a change of clothes," Wu-Fei commented. He was drenched in blood from head to toe.

"Me, too," Heero agreed. He was pretty thoroughly soaked with blood and gore.

"My servants will tend to all your needs," Baron de Franco assured them. "Come, my friends! Hot food, fresh ale and pleasant company await you."

Later that evening, in the Baron's comfortable dining room, everyone had to agree that the Baron set a very good table. They were all comfortably stuffed and feeling a nice buzz from the ale. Roku sat next to the Baroness so she could stroke his soft fur.

"What a delightful creature!" she exclaimed. "Are you certain I may not keep him?"

"I'm afraid not, my lady," Quatre said. "Roku is my son and I would be lost without him."

"Your son! But he is not human!"

"Well, he is and he isn't. It's sort of hard to explain."

"Are you a sorcerer, Sir?" the Baroness asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ah." She continued to stroke Roku's fur. "Well, it is disappointing, but I will content myself with a little more petting."

Roku stretched across her lap on his back and began to purr.

"He likes to have his belly rubbed," Quatre hinted.

The Baroness rubbed Roku's belly and he closed his eyes happily.

"Sir Percival," Baron de Franco said, "although your errand through my lands is indeed none of my business, I am curious all the same to hear it, if you don't mind telling me."

"We are searching for the Wizard's Cave, which is said to be on the coast of Cornwall."

"The Wizard's Cave? That is a dangerous place," the Baron said. "Many men have died searching for it."

"You know of it?"

"Indeed. I can direct you to the place on the coast where it lies, but I caution you to have a care. Men such as you would be a shame to lose."

"You honor me, my lord Baron, but we will take our chances."

"Very well, then. In the morning, I will give you directions and such tools as I think you will need to reach the cave. But tonight, let us enjoy ourselves." He clapped his hands and a dozen young women entered the dining room and began to dance.

"Oh my!" Damodin exclaimed. "They are quite lovely."

Baron de Franco winked. "I have no doubt they think the same of you my friend. I will send one or two of them to your room later." The Baron lifted his mug. "A toast! To men of valor!"

"To men of valor!" echoed every throat.


	14. The Wizard's Cave

Damodin will be singing a final song in this chapter, once again penned by yours truly. I have been debating whether or not to just come out and say this is the last chapter of the Quest. Well, it is, but don't despair. More will come, which I will tell you about at the end of the story.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 14: The Wizard's Cave

"You'll need some rope," Baron de Franco said. "The cliffs along that part of the coast are too steep to climb. You'll also want to take a mallet and stakes so you can make anchor points for the rope, if necessary."

Servants were laying out the specified items as the Baron spoke.

"You are most generous, my lord Baron," Percival said. "We are grateful for your aid."

"You may repay me by surviving and returning to tell me what you saw in the cave. I find this whole thing most fascinating." He lowered his voice. "I hear there are countless treasures in the cave. Perhaps you could bring me something?"

"If we see anything appropriate, my lord, we will fetch it back for you."

The Baron rubbed his hands together with a gleeful smile. "My men will show you the way to the cave. Farewell!"

The group departed with two of the Baron's men to serve as their guides. After two days, their guides left them on a windswept bluff overlooking the sea. A nearly sheer cliff dropped down to the water below, where the surf crashed against the rocks with a surging roar.

"The cave's down there somewhere," one of the men said. "Good luck finding it." They rode off.

"I'll go have a look," Quatre said. "Why don't you make camp? It's too late to go rappelling down the cliff anyway." He shimmered into his falcon form and swooped off.

The only trees to be had were thin scraggly things, bent over and bare from the constant wind. The knights ripped up as many of them as they could find to make a dismayingly meager pile of firewood. Wu-Fei lit it as they waited for Quatre to return. They did not have to wait long.

"I saw a cave at the base of the cliff about two hundred meters that way," Quatre told them when he returned. He pointed along the cliff to their left.

"Could you get inside?" Trowa asked.

"No, the winds are a bitch. I nearly got smacked into the cliff trying to get close to it. We're going to have to go down the cliff face and the wind will not make it easy."

"Great!" Duo muttered.

"Well, we'd better eat well and get to sleep," Hagrimore said. "It sounds like we're going to need all our strength."

In the morning, they hiked along the cliff to the spot Quatre had noted and looked over.

"There's not much to anchor the rope to," Wu-Fei noted.

"There's a good sized boulder over here," Olwin reported from a spot a dozen or so paces from the cliff edge.

The boulder seemed embedded fairly firmly into the ground. Not even Hagrimore and Heero together could shift it, so they tied one end of their rope to it and tossed the line over the cliff.

"I'll go first," Trowa said. He looped the rope once around his waist and dropped over the side. Everyone watched as he rappelled gracefully down the cliff.

"He makes that look so easy," Duo muttered.

"Look at the way his clothes are blowing, though," Wu-Fei said. "The wind is pretty strong."

"It might be a good idea to have some people stay at the top of the cliff. We may need help climbing back up," Quatre said.

"I'll stay!" Olwin volunteered immediately. "I have to confess, I am not good with heights."

Mendelere nodded. "In truth, I have trouble lifting my arms well above my head, since I had a bad fall in a jousting match two years ago. I should probably not attempt this."

"As I am one of the strongest, I should probably stay as well," Hagrimore said, "although I will regret not seeing treasures untold." He winked at the others.

"It looks like Trowa's at the bottom," Heero said.

Looking incredibly small, Trowa was waving at them from the bottom of the cliff. Heero gripped the rope and hopped over the side.

"May I go down too, Mama?" Roku asked.

"Yes, but you'd better change. You'll need hands."

"Ok." Roku shimmered into his human form.

Quatre stared at him. "You've gotten taller!"

"I have?" Roku looked down at himself.

"It's to be expected, I suppose," Quatre said. "I guess you have been growing into your paws, lately."

Roku grinned happily. He waited until Heero was at the bottom and then he went over the edge. Quatre held his breath as Roku slithered down the rope. He heaved a sigh of relief when Roku reached the bottom and then he started down, followed by Duo, Wu-Fei, Percival and Damodin.

It was incredibly noisy at the bottom of the cliff. The surf crashed on the rocks thunderously, drenching them with spray as they balanced somewhat precariously on the slippery, wet rocks.

"It's this way!" Quatre shouted and he led the way along the rocks to the left.

They worked their way around a slight bulge in the cliff face to where a deep fissure revealed the darkness of a cave. A ledge of rock led from where they stood up to the fissure, but no one proceeded forward, because seated on a rock that jutted up out of the crashing surf was a beautiful naked woman. Long silver hair flowed down over her shoulders but it did not hide her generous endowment of bosom.

Everyone stared.

"She was not there when I flew by yesterday," Quatre stated.

"I say, madam," Damodin called, "may I be of service to you?"

The woman favored them with a magnificent smile. "Would you not like to join me on my rock?" Her voice flowed like warm honey into their ears, with a delicate chiming of silver bells and the sweet whisper of birds singing.

"I would like nothing better!" Damodin cried and he started to walk toward her.

Roku grabbed his hand. "Don't do that, Sir Damodin! You'll fall in the water!"

Damodin started and looked down. "What?"

The woman held out her arms. "Come to me and I will soothe your brow with soft kisses!"

"How kind you are to offer!" Percival said and he started to step forward.

Roku jumped over and grabbed his arm. "No, Sir Percy!"

Then Trowa and Heero started to step forward.

Panicked, Roku stepped back and shouted "_Homo obrigesco_!"

All seven men instantly became stiff as trees.

The woman frowned. "What did you do?"

"I made them be still so you could not make them fall in the water."

"Sweet boy," the woman said with a delicate smile, "making men fall in the water and drown is what I do. It is my duty to keep them out of the Wizard's Cave."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you drown my Mama and Papas."

"Your Mama?" A delicate frown stole across the woman's beautiful features. "But I see only men here."

Roku pointed at Quatre. "He is my Mama." At her puzzled look, he added, "It's a long story."

The woman studied him. "You are very young to possess a wizard's powers."

"I was born this way. Why won't you let anyone go in the cave?"

"It's what I do. I am a Siren."

Roku sat down on a rock. "What will happen if someone goes in the cave?"

The woman frowned again. "Well, I suppose I will have to go guard another place."

"How long have you guarded this place?"

"It's been a very long time." She sighed wistfully.

"Wouldn't you like to go someplace else for a while?"

"It is not my place to choose."

"Well," Roku said. "I could go in the cave if I wanted to. If I went in, would you go away and not make my friends fall in the water and drown?"

The woman put a delicate finger against her lips. "I suppose I would have to."

"In that case, why don't you go now? Does it really matter whether I go in the cave right away, since I can go in anytime?"

The woman thought this over for a moment. Then she smiled. "You are a very bright little boy," she said and dove off the rock into the water. There was a brief flash of a mermaid's rainbow colored tail as she disappeared beneath the surf.

Roku sighed. "That was close." He looked at his companions. "_Homo recreare_!"

"What the hell…?" Duo mumbled. "What just happened?"

"The lady on the rock was trying to make you all fall in the water and drown," Roku said. "She said she was a Siren."

"A Siren!" Percival exclaimed. "How did we escape with our lives!"

"I put you all to sleep and talked her into going away," Roku replied.

Quatre hugged Roku tightly. "You're a good boy, Roku!" he said proudly. "I am very glad we brought you with us."

"Me too." He fixed his big blue eyes on Quatre. "I was very worried."

"I'm sorry we frightened you, sweetheart," Quatre said.

"Thanks, Roku," Duo added. He tugged on Roku's long black braid.

Everyone echoed that thanks and the party continued along the ledge toward the cave.

It was very dark in the cave. Quatre began making little balls of light and letting them float up toward the ceiling to light the way as they made their way deeper into the shadows. The fissure narrowed steadily until they were forced to walk single file. Heero took the lead and Damodin brought up the rear. At length, the fissure opened up into a large cavern, whose size became apparent only after Quatre had created and released half a dozen light balls and sent them floating off in different directions.

The cave was full of stuff, ranging from items of pure gold to piles of broken furniture. Everything was jumbled about haphazardly, with bright golden statuettes resting on rickety old tables with only three legs.

"Do you suppose the Grail is in here?" Damodin asked. He looked around at the collection of junk and precious treasures with dismay.

"Anything could be in here," Heero said flatly.

"We better start looking around," Trowa advised. "Let's split up."

"Remember you have to climb a cliff later, Duo," Quatre said dryly. "Try to keep the gold you pick up to a minimum."

"Who, me?"

"And don't go giving it all to Roku, either!"

"Damn!" Duo pulled out his knife. "Say, Knife! Is there anything of real value in this cave?"

_The Book of All Spells lies here._

"Oh, yeah? Where is it?"

_Beneath the golden eagle._

Duo looked around. "You mean that thing?" He pointed at a two meter tall pillar that had a bird with flaring wings mounted on top.

_Yes._

"Cool. Quatre, my knife says there's something called the Book of All Spells under that bird statue over there. Now can I give Roku just one or two little golden things to carry for me?"

Quatre glared at him, but he went over to the indicated statue to look. He found a slender book about the size of his hand with a cover that might have been made from dragon skin. H opened it, but the pages inside were blank.

"There are no spells in here."

_Ask the book how to do something and the spell will appear._

"The knife says you have to ask it how to do something and then a spell will appear."

"Really? That's interesting." Quatre thought for a moment. "I want to know how to get back to our own time." He opened the book again. Delicate writing appeared on the first page. He invoked another light ball so he could read more easily. "I'll be damned!"

"What is it?" Trowa walked over to Quatre's side.

"I think this will actually work!"

"You mean you can make a spell to take us home?"

"Yes!" Quatre looked at the others with excitement. "I think I can get us back to our own time!"

The five pilots stared at each other for a moment and then the other four descended on Quatre in a massive group hug. Even Heero.

Then Trowa disengaged himself. "But we need to search the cave for the Grail first."

"And we can't leave without saying goodbye to Hagrimore," Duo added.

"Right."

"Duo, can't your knife find the Grail?" Heero asked.

"I don't think so. Remember, it can't find anything more magical then itself. But I'll ask." Duo looked at the knife. "What about it? Do you know where the Grail is?"

_The Grail is everywhere._

"What the hell does that mean?"

_It is an object of such power, its aura emanates from everywhere._

"Oh, I get it. Sorry guys, the knife can't help." Duo stuck the knife back in its sheath. "The Grail has too much power, so the knife can't pinpoint it."

"Great," Heero grumbled. "I guess we search then."

Everyone searched the cave very diligently, but although many items of great value were found, nothing like the Holy Grail presented itself to them.

Percival sighed resignedly. "My friends," he said, "I think we have come to the end of our road. There are no more clues, so I think this is the place we were meant to find. But alas, the Grail is not to be found. Perhaps, as I have said all along, it is the search and not the destination which matters."

"Perhaps," said Damodin, "it was the Book of All Spells we were meant to find, so our dear friends could find their way home again. Is that not a good thing, too?"

Percival perked up at once. "You are quite right, Sir Damodin!" he exclaimed. "This find is certainly of more value to our companions, and therefore is of value to us all. Let us return to the others and acquaint them with this exciting news."

Damodin picked up a small golden statuette. "Shall we take this as a guest gift to Baron de Franco?"

"Why not?" said Percival. Then he grinned. "But I think there is no need to mention that the Siren has moved on. There is no reason for the Wizard's Cave to lose its reputation and be denuded of its many treasures."

"I think that is something we can keep between us," Damodin agreed.

So they left the cave and made their way back up the cliff, with Hagrimore, Mendelere and Olwin lending their strength to haul the others up one at a time.

Hagrimore received the news about the Book of All Spells with a tear in his eye. "Alas, my good friends," he cried, "I shall miss you all as I would miss my own sons. You've become as dear to me as they are, in truth."

Percival nodded in agreement. "Had I any sons, I would wish them to be men such as you," he said gravely.

Quatre made a choking sound, but he managed not to look pointedly at Duo.

No one seemed particularly disappointed that they did not find the Holy Grail, even Percival. They discussed their many adventures along the way and reminisced about the many strange things they had seen. They also recalled notable experiences from their days in King Arthur's court.

"I still think my favorite part was when Quatre turned Jean-Pierre Galvoisin de Croix Vert into a bunny and Roku chased him," Duo said.

"That was pretty funny," Wu-Fei agreed.

"I rather liked it when Heero knocked him on his ass during the joust," Quatre chuckled.

Heero smiled faintly.

"Remember what a pretty woman Quatre made?" Trowa said with a dreamy smile.

"You would rather be with a woman?" Quatre asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Trowa took Quatre's hand. "I'd rather be with you, man or woman."

Quatre blushed.

Damodin cleared his throat. "In that regard, I have written a ballad to commemorate your visit. It would please me to sing it for you."

"Yes, please, we'd love to hear it!"

Damodin sat up straight, lifted his chin and began to sing:

_Anon, one day came five young men among the Knights of Camelot.  
__Though strange they were of word and dress, we saw their minds and hearts were pure.  
__So fair of face and form they were, by many men their love was sought.  
__But loved they best among themselves, so knightly love held no allure._

_Among these men was one whose strength was more than match for any man.  
__Heero by name, and aptly too, for valor did he have to spare.  
__Though slight, he stood above the rest and countless fell beneath his hand.  
__By sacred oath and solemn vow, he was a knight beyond compare._

_A second man among this group possessed in him a happy charm.  
__Called Duo by his friends so true, he had a knack for cards and dice.  
__And food and drink he loved so well that few could match him without harm.  
__But always first his choice would be to passion's heat his friends entice._

_A gentle man was yet a third who in this group did play his part.  
__Trowa was he, whose skill and grace did entertain us and amaze.  
__Many there were who loved him well, but only one who held his heart.  
__His dearest friend and only love whose blue-eyed beauty held his gaze._

_The fourth young man, sweet Trowa's love, displayed a flair for magic's gift.  
__Quatre, lovely as the moon, became a wizard like no other.  
__He cast his spells as quick as thought; no knight was safe when he was miffed.  
__And though his fierceness made men quake, he was yet a loving mother._

_Though listed last, he might be first; this final man was strong and true.  
__Wu-Fei, a master of the sword, made swordplay graceful as a dance.  
__Let any number face him, yet they'd all lie dead ere he was through.  
__But knowledge had he also and this was his greatest gift, perchance._

_But let me not forget one more, who joined these others afterward.  
__Young Roku, loving Quatre's son, brought into life by magic wild.  
__A little boy with nature sweet, he walks as man or beast or bird.  
__A wizard's power he holds within, but you'll not find a sweeter child._

_And thus are they who shaped our lives and gave to us a deep felt joy.  
__But now we face them one last time on what must be our final day.  
__And burn into our hearts and minds the faces of each man and boy.  
__And hold them in our memory as time at last takes them away._

"That's beautiful, Damodin. Thank you," Quatre said.

The others all nodded in quiet agreement.

After a moment, Quatre took the spell book from his pocket and held it in his hand. "I think it's time to go."

"Indeed," Percival agreed. "We shall truly miss you, my friends. Safe journey."

"Safe journey," Hagrimore said as well, echoed by Mendelere and Olwin.

The five young pilots and Roku stood in a close group.

"Show me the way home," Quatre said and opened the spell book. He read the words that appeared there in a resonant voice.

"Ow!" said Duo. He rubbed his head where something had banged it and looked up. "Holy shit!"

"I'll be damned!" Wu-Fei exclaimed.

"It actually worked," Heero remarked.

"Well done, Quatre," said Trowa.

The close confines of the shuttle cockpit had them all hunched over.

"Where is this place, Mama?" Roku asked. He was looking out a porthole.

Quatre looked out the nearest porthole. "It looks like a moon."

"HA!" Duo shouted triumphantly. "I told you I hit the giant moon!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

And thus ends the adventure of Gundam Wing and the Quest for the Holy Grail. Look for their story to continue in the next installment: The Magicians of Gundam Wing, coming soon to a fanfic site near you, because I know you are desperate to find out what happens when our magic-wielding, fire-breathing Gundam pilots meet up with their old friends from the colonies. Ja-ne!


End file.
